Alexander Volkanovski: ‘I’m More Than Happy to Fight in the UFC 300 Main Event’
As the excitement and anticipation builds over what Dana White will announce as the main event of UFC 300, Alexander Volkanovski said he is willing to take another fight on short notice.
“I’m more than happy to fight in the UFC 300 main event,” said Volkanovski. “It wouldn’t be a featherweight fight. It would have to be a lightweight opponent, and I’d be more than happy to take that on.”
Volkanovski (26-3) was knocked out by Islam Makhachev in October after accepting the fight on short notice with less than two weeks to prepare. He learned a lesson from that encounter, which is to never put him in a position where he is unprepared for an opportunity.
“I’d been undisciplined in the months leading up to that, and you’ll never see that again,” said Volkanovski. “I’m fine with it. A lot of people talk the talk, saying they’ll fight anyone, anywhere. I know I’ll do it. That was a terrible circumstance, the worst in my past 13 years. But I backed myself. I knew I wasn’t ready, but I told myself I’d be the most dangerous I’d ever been because I knew I couldn’t win by decision. There was no way I was going five rounds, so I went for it.
“You need to hit some adversity, and that was the lowest of lows for me. Now everyone gets to see the bounce-back. I’m fighting an undefeated guy that everyone’s hyping up–I can’t wait.”
Courtesy Zuffa LLC
Volkanovski defends his featherweight title this Saturday at UFC 298. Unlike past title defenses, the outcome here is not a foregone conclusion.
He faces a dangerous, explosive challenge in the undefeated Ilia Topuria, who is entering this bout, at least publicly, with extreme confidence. The matchup will likely be determined by striking defense.
Topuria has hinted that Volkanovski is not at full strength, a claim the champ denies. Considering that Volkanovski is coming off a knockout loss, Topuria is attempting to play mind games.
Adding to the build is the difficulty–even near impossibility–for fighters battling the 35-and-over curse. In the last 33 title fights between 125-170 pounds that pitted a UFC fighter older than 35 years old, the over-35 crowd has only won twice. The loss to Makhachev from this past fall adds to the 2-31 record, another reason for Topuria’s brimming confidence.
In response to the “Volk is too old” narrative, he and his team crafted an excellent video that poked fun at that very idea.
“I thought it was fun, it was playful, and people loved it,” said Volkanovski. “It went the way we hoped it would. I loved playing into it.
“I’m glad people liked my acting skills. It was an idea from the promotion, and I especially liked the parts with the VCR and the tomato plants.”
Asked whether age will play a factor in Saturday’s bout against Topuria, Volkanovski scoffed at the notion.
“I’m not worried about it,” said Volkanovski. “Those who see me turn it up at the gym, I guarantee you they’re not going off some stat other people are talking about. I’m in my prime. I can’t wait to show that on Saturday.”
The father of three girls, Volkanovski went viral again this week because of a story he recalled about a bedtime conversation with his eight-year-old daughter.
While his daughter was stalling before having to go to bed, the two engaged in a playful back-and-forth conversation that ended with her getting a unanimous decision victory against her father.
“My girls always bring me down to earth,” said Volkanovski. “In this case, I was so impressed with her wit. She was doing what she was does every night, doing anything she could to stay up and keep me in the room.
“That night it was, ‘Oh, I can’t go to bed, I’m scared.’ So I said, ‘Darlin’, the door’s open, no one will hurt you.’ I started being more playful, saying, ‘Darlin’, I’m the champ. No one’s going to mess with me.’ And then, finally, she said, ‘What if it’s Islam Makhachev?’ She one-upped me with that one, and I thought it was hilarious.”
Courtesy Zuffa LLC
The last memory of Volkanovski in the cage is that one-sided affair against Makhachev. Images of the manner in which he dominated Yair Rodriguez last summer have seemingly been erased from people’s recollection. But Volkanovski believes he holds a cure to remedy this vexing situation.
“I’m OK that people quickly forget,” said Volkanovski. “I’m good at quickly reminding them.
“People have forgotten what I can do. My last loss keeps it exciting. It makes this next victory even bigger for me.”
Tough, resilient, and durable, Volkanovski enters this bout battle-tested. He has fought–and defeated–a convoy of elite fighters, which Topuria has yet to do. This has the makings of a sensational bout, and the winner will control both the present and future of the featherweight division.
“I’ve had plenty of tests and I’ve fought legends in this sport,” said Volkanovski. “He hasn’t yet. Is he up to it? We’ll see.
“I’m looking forward to showing him what championship-level looks like.”
