Alexander Volkanovski admits that his time in the spotlight is drawing to a close.

The Aussie, regarded as one of the finest featherweight fighters in history, will seek to regain the UFC’s 145-pound title when he takes on Diego Lopes in the UFC 314 main event on April 12 in Miami after the man who defeated him for the crown, Ilia Topuria, relinquished the championship ahead of a move to lightweight.

And while Volk has plans to defend that title should he be victorious, the 36-year-old says that he has begun planning his exit from mixed martial arts.

“I don’t know how much longer I have left in this,” Volkanovski told Ariel Helwani, as noted by MMA Fighting.

“I probably could go a few more years. I’m thinking of winning the belt, then defending. Even winning, I’m thinking of, ‘You know what, I’m done. Because how much longer do I want to do this? This ain’t easy, especially to be at a level that I’m at, where my expectations, my normal, is very hard work.

“It hurts, you’re in pain, you get stuck in. That’s what it takes to be elite and be the best and be at the top. I accept nothing but that. So it ain’t easy.”

He added: “So I’m expecting to maybe have a few more, a couple more, a few more. We’ll see. I’ll say that now. I have a fight and absolutely love it, ‘You know what, give me another seven!’ But how much longer? I still love it, but how much longer do I want to do this to myself and my body? I do want to eventually sail off in the sunset, right?”

The UFC 314 date with Lopes, winner of five straight fights, will almost certainly play a big factor in Volkanovski’s future, with the fighter turning 37 in September in a division largely populated by younger athletes.

But as far as Volk is concerned, the first plan of action is to win the title and then assess what comes next.

“Win that belt, defend it, maybe defend it again,” he said. “Maybe one big fight after a defence, we’ll see. Then maybe I’m done. That’s sort of where we’re at. But I want to be active as soon as I get this belt.”