Sonnen Rips Volkanovski's Plan to Fight Gaethje at 155

Chael Sonnen says Alexander Volkanovski's pitch to fight Justin Gaethje for the UFC lightweight title without giving up his featherweight belt is "one of the dumbest ideas" he has ever heard.

Volkanovski has publicly stated he wants to move up to lightweight, challenge Gaethje for the 155-pound title, and then walk away from combat sports for good. Dana White has signaled support for the matchup. But Sonnen, speaking on his YouTube channel, says the plan lets Volkanovski have it both ways and calls it a "cop out" dressed up as a personal test.

Why Sonnen Says Volkanovski Should Drop the Belt

Sonnen's core argument is that Volkanovski can't claim he wants to "test himself" at lightweight while still holding the featherweight title as a safety net. He pointed to Ilia Topuria, who vacated his belt before moving up with no guarantee of a title shot, and to Max Holloway, who has gone to 155 pounds as a featherweight without demanding a crack at gold. "You want to test yourself, do what Ilia did: drop the belt, go into the division," Sonnen said. He noted Volkanovski never vacated the 145-pound strap during his two previous lightweight title runs against Islam Makhachev, both of which he lost, and argued that chasing a third crack at a lightweight title he's already failed to win twice isn't the same thing as testing himself against the division at large.

Volkanovski, who just turned 38, has already said he won't defend the featherweight title against surging contender Jean Silva, which adds fuel to Sonnen's read that the Gaethje plan is more about chasing a marquee final fight than genuinely testing himself at 155 pounds. Whether any of this happens still hinges on Gaethje, who has floated retirement and hasn't confirmed he wants the fight.

Renato Moicano Is On Board

Lightweight contender Renato Moicano has publicly backed the idea of Volkanovski fighting Gaethje and has already offered to be Volkanovski's first opponent at 155 pounds if the champion wants a tune-up before any Gaethje fight. That gives Volkanovski a credible, game lightweight willing to share the cage with him whenever he's ready to make the jump official.

Betting Angle

None of this is close to being bookable yet, since it depends on Gaethje's own retirement decision and on how the UFC wants to sequence Volkanovski's next fight, but the betting markets will care plenty once it is. Volkanovski opened as a live betting underdog in both losses to Makhachev despite being competitive on the scorecards, and oddsmakers would likely view a Gaethje fight very differently given Gaethje's style is far more compatible with Volkanovski's boxing and output than Makhachev's wrestling-heavy approach. If Volkanovski does vacate the featherweight title to chase this fight, expect him to open closer to even money or a slight favorite against Gaethje, a sharp contrast to how he was priced against Makhachev.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Chael Sonnen think Alexander Volkanovski's plan to fight Justin Gaethje is a bad idea?

Chael Sonnen argues Volkanovski is using the idea of 'testing himself' at lightweight without actually vacating his featherweight title, unlike Ilia Topuria, who dropped his belt before moving up with no guaranteed title shot.

Has Alexander Volkanovski fought for the UFC lightweight title before?

Yes, Alexander Volkanovski is 0-2 in lightweight title fights, having lost twice to then-champion Islam Makhachev.

Who has offered to fight Alexander Volkanovski at lightweight?

UFC lightweight contender Renato Moicano has publicly supported a Volkanovski vs. Justin Gaethje fight and offered to be Volkanovski's first opponent at 155 pounds.