Alex Volkanovski believes that Jose Aldo, not Frankie Edgar, is the only man standing between himself and a UFC featherweight title shot.

Volkanovski is set to square off with Aldo at May’s UFC 237 pay-per-view event in Rio and believes that a win over the former featherweight kingpin should guarantee him the next shot at current 145-pound title holder Max Holloway.

“(Frankie Edgar is) dreaming if he thinks I’d take out Aldo in his hometown and then he gets a shot in front of me,” Volkanovski told MMA Junkie. “Surely that just does not make sense.”

Alex Volkanovski went on to admit that he does sympathize with Frankie Edgar, but at the end of the day MMA is simply an unforgiving sport.

“I feel bad for him, because I know he deserves it, especially with the whole (Brian) Ortega thing that happened. But this sport can be so unforgiving, man. But do we have sympathy out there just to let him have a title shot? I don’t think so. It’s unfortunate. I feel sorry, but mate, I’m the guy.”

Volkanovski will enter UFC 237 on a sixteen fight win streak, his latest being a TKO victory over former title challenger Chad Mendes this past December.

As for Joe Aldo, the Brazilian legend is coming off back-to-back TKO victories over Renato Moicano and Jeremy Stephens respectively.

Do you think Alex Volkanovski will defeat Jose Aldo at UFC 237 and thus earn his first career UFC title shot? What should come next for former lightweight title holder Frankie Edgar? Sound off in the comments section PENN Nation!

Learn how to watch UFC 237 here