Alex Volkanovski wants $50,000 KO at UFC-Sydney, then fight with 'bully' Jeremy Stephens in Perth

SYDNEY – With his third UFC fight in less than a year right around the corner, Alex Volkanovski has a pretty clear plan for his future.

Naturally, it starts with Volkanovski (15-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) taking out short-notice newcomer Shane Young (11-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in their featherweight fight at UFC Fight Night 121 – and in a way that gets him a $50,000 performance bonus.

UFC Fight Night 121 takes place Sunday (but airs live on Saturday in North America due to the time difference) at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. It airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Young stepped in for Humberto Bandenay earlier this week, and Bandenay had been a replacement for Jeremy Kennedy. Strangely enough, Volkanovski knows a little about Young.

“We get along with their gym very well,” Volkanovski told MMAjunkie at a media day this week. “I’ve got a guy cornering me who is actually one of his training partners. They haven’t been with each other forever, but it just shows you. At the end of the day, I’m happy for him, but I’ve got to do my thing. I’m looking for that finish and I’m looking for that $50,000.”

But after this weekend, Volkanovski wants to make things a little more regular – like back again in February at UFC 221 in Perth, giving him another fight in front of his home Australian fans.

“I want to fight as regularly as I can,” he said. “I’ll be calling out all these bad boys and these top 15 guys. I’m going to prove why I’m ready for these top guys – I’m getting thrown guys and I’m finishing them, dominating performances, so I’m expecting to do that again. I want a top-ranked opponent, and I want him in Perth.”

Just how top-ranked? For now, how about Jeremy Stephens (26-14 MMA, 13-13 UFC), who despite his .500 UFC record presents a potential opponent with longevity.

“He’s highly ranked, he’s well known, and I’m after these bad boys,” Volkanovski said. “He says he’s a tough guy, he’s a bad boy. I think of him like a bully-type of person. I don’t like bullies. He can try and bully me and we’ll see what happens. I’ve got a job to do on (Saturday), but I’d love to fight him, that’s for sure.”

For more from Volkanovski, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 121, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.