UFC featherweight contender Diego Lopes hopes Alexander Volkanovski will retire after presumably fighting his former foe.

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is widely expected to return to the Octagon later this year and fight unbeaten contender Movsar Evloev. Rumors are swirling that Volkanovski vs. Evloev will headline an upcoming major event, potentially as soon as September.

Evloev’s long-awaited title shot will come to fruition after recent wins over Diego Lopes, Lerone Murphy, and Aljamain Sterling. Lopes has fought Volkanovski twice since Evloev defeated him in his short-notice promotional debut, losing two decisions to the reigning champion.

Lopes returns to the Octagon this weekend at UFC Freedom 250 against Steve Garcia, and could potentially get right back into the title mix with an impressive performance. But as two of his former rivals prepare to square off, likely, he’s hopeful that Volkanovski’s reign is coming to a close.

Diego Lopes ‘hoping’ for Alexander Volkanovski’s retirement at the end of the year

In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Lopes was asked for his thoughts on the potential Volkanovski vs. Evloev fight.

“It’s a hard fight, but I think Volkanovski still has the advantage in this fight. I think he’ll win and then retire,” Lopes said.

“He’ll win the fight and retire. [LAUGHS] Volk is still here, so it’s hard for me to fight for the belt. I never want bad things for a person, but now, I hope that Volk retires soon.”

Volkanovski hasn’t formally announced when he plans to hang up the gloves, but he could potentially be on the tail-end of his career. He admitted, ahead of his first fight with Lopes, that he had contemplated retirement before UFC 314.

After back-to-back wins over Lopes, Volkanovski’s confidence is back on track, and an impressive showing against Evloev could be enough to postpone his post-career plans.

What is your prediction for Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev? Let us know in the comments!