Alexander Volkanovski has offered to roll the dice and take a UFC blockbuster against Charles Oliveira before the year is out – while also warning new featherweight champ Ilia Topuria to “stay in your f***ing lane” with his new bad guy schtick.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, Volkanovski is also predicting his incredible streak of UFC fight picks to continue via Brazilian superstar Alex Pereira scoring a highlight reel knockout at UFC 303, Sunday.

UFC 303: PEREIRA VS PROCHAZKA 2 | SUN 30 JUNE 12PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.

Now four months on from losing his UFC featherweight title to breakout Spaniard Topuria, Volkanovski is back in training and readying to fight sometime in the final third of this year.

Already, UFC executives have told the 35-year-old that if he is willing to wait, his first fight back at featherweight will be for that same gold strap he held through five years and as many defences.

However, that promise also comes amid whispers Topuria’s own first defence will now be against new BMF champ Max Holloway – with both September and October potential dates being discussed.

Should things play out that way, Volkanovski says he won’t wait until 2025 to fight the winner.

Instead, he wants to “take on something that excites me” in the lightweight division – with Oliveira at the top of his list.

Volkanovski added that, should Holloway jump over him for a title shot, he is tipping the Hawaiian he has already beaten three times himself to defeat Topuria — while also accusing the new Spanish champ of struggling so much in his new bad guy role “the UFC aren’t happy”.

More immediately, Volk has tipped UFC light heavyweight king Pereira to defend in a fireworks UFC 303 headliner against Jiri Prochazka in Las Vegas, Sunday.

“And Pereira, he really has grown on me so much,” Volkanovski laughed of the man who was initially an arch rival of his own great mate and training partner, Israel Adesanya.

“Initially, I didn’t know much about him other than that he and Izzy were rivals.

“And obviously, I’m always backing my boy.

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“But now the more I’ve learned about Pereira, he’s a great fighter who in a short amount of time has done some really impressive things.

“He’s also not just taking short notice fights, but putting his belt on the line, too. And you know how I feel about all of that … I love that s….”

So as for a prediction?

“Pereira knockout, definitely,” Volkanovski said.

“I don’t know how that fight can be anything else.

“The way they both fight, they both take so much risk.”

Unsurprisingly, Volk is also now willing to do the same himself.

Asked what was next for him, the former champ said: “I’ve heard Ilia and Max is confirmed so I need to talk with the UFC and see what’s going on.

“Clear some things up.

“I’d said I wanted some time off – and the UFC wanted me to take some time off – so if that fight is made I need to be OK with it.

“I can’t expect the UFC to wait for me.

“But if they are going to do Ilia and Max, I just hoped it would be earlier because I want to fight this year, I don’t want to wait.”

“So if there is no title fight until next year then I need something exciting – maybe Charles Oliveria.

“There are others but I think Michael Chandler will keep waiting for Conor McGregor and I think Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje also want to wait a bit …”

Asked about potentially fighting someone else at featherweight, Volkanovski said: “Who would it be?

“There is nobody there that excites me, or that I haven’t fought already.

“And they’ve said my next one there is title fight.”

UFC 303: PEREIRA VS PROCHAZKA 2 | SUN 30 JUNE 12PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.

Asked if he was potentially risking that shot by accepting a fight with, say, Oliveira, he continued: “Of course.

“But I’d rather take that risk than wait around.

“What happens if you wait around and fall off the edge? If all of a sudden you’re 36 and literally it goes.

“I still feel great but there is the risk of that.

“Or maybe I wait it out, get injured and then suddenly you haven’t fought in two years.

“So there are all sorts of risks.

“But I’m going to back myself.

“And when I do get in there against Ilia, I want to fight my fight”

Volkanovski has questioned the new bad boy character Topuria is attempting to portray publicly.

“Because doing what he did to me, it was massive,” Volkanovski started of the man who stopped him via a shock KO at UFC 298 in February.

“And for a while he was riding off of that.

“But then Max goes and wins the BMF title, then calls him out.

“Then suddenly Ilia goes from being king of the world to getting negative feedback.

“People were saying he looked scared when called out by Max, which mightn’t be the case.

“But suddenly you have all these negative comments towards him.

“Then you’ve also got Topuria saying he doesn’t want to fight this guy, doesn’t want to fight that guy … he doesn’t want to fight any of the top guys.

“So sure, play the bad guy.

“But don’t do it by saying you aren’t going to fight anyone.

“That just leaves a sour taste in the fans’ mouths.

“There are bad guys who talk trash.

“But what he’s doing … I guarantee you the UFC aren’t happy with it.

“Especially him saying he doesn’t want to fight anyone but Conor McGregor.

“Cmon mate, f…ing stay in your lane.

“Because the fans aren’t going to be happy with that, you’re opponents aren’t going to be happy with it and neither will the UFC.

“It becomes hard to back you up when you’re saying you don’t want to fight any of the top guys.

“So while initially he was doing things right — and against me it all worked perfectly — the way he’s playing the game now, I think, could be done differently.”

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia last month, Volkanovski predicted that if Topuria does fight Holloway first, it will be the Hawaiian legend who wins.

“And I still think Max,” he said this week.

“Topuria will always have that puncher’s chance.

“But he won’t be able to take Max down and control him.

“He’s not going to land too much, either.

“Of course, he will land here and there, but then you’ve got (to factor in) Max’s chin.

“Plus, the fighter Max used to be, when he would come forward — boxing heavy, volume — it wouldn’t be too bad of a match of for Ilia.

“But now Max fights at better range, has angles, has different tools, kicks, he does a lot of things differently after our three fights.

“And he’s said that after our fights he started changing his game.

“He doesn’t get hit as much and I think Ilia will find it hard to touch him.

“And even when he does I think Max can take it.”