Tag: Alexander Volkanovski

Alexander Volkanovski: UFC 300 proved Max Holloway never lost it, has ‘always been that good’

Alexander Volkanovski wasn’t surprised to see Max Holloway beat Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] wasn’t surprised to see [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] beat Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.

Not only did Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) beat Gaethje to claim the BMF title Saturday, he knocked him out in an incredible last-second finish. Volkanovski predicted a Holloway win but admits he was surprised with the knockout finish.

“The biggest moment of the card obviously was Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “I told yous not to count Max Holloway out. The way people were talking about as if it was like these guys are on a whole different level, I just couldn’t believe it. Even the size difference.

“Yeah, I didn’t think that was the case at all, so I was quite surprised how people were talking. Obviously, I didn’t expect him to get a knockout. That was a surprise to me, but I expected him to be in a good chance to be very competitive or even win. I picked him to win.”

Volkanovski never understood those who started to doubt Holloway after he lost to him in three title fights. Outside of his losses to Volkanovski, Holloway had not lost at featherweight since 2013.

“He was up four rounds to one with one second to go,” Volkanovski said. “That’s when he got the finish, but 10-15 seconds out, he’s like, ‘Let’s do it.’ Iconic Max Holloway moment with Justin Gaethje when he’s already four rounds up. Talk about BMF, mate. Kudos to him for that. That was pretty incredible. Then they just go for it.

“Max was even winning them exchanges and then just goes boom, lights out. Did not see that coming. … Again, I was expecting him to win but not like that. Absolutely blown away. Incredible performance. Like I said, Max has never lost it. A lot of people, even with our fights, after the last one, as if Max was done and dusted. I’m like, no, that’s not the case at all. He’s always been that good, and you’ve just seen that once again. Credit to Max Holloway.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Why Alexander Volkanovski gives Max Holloway a ‘massive chance’ to beat Justin Gaethje at UFC 300

Alexander Volkanovski had a hard time picking between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway but eventually settled on a winner at UFC 300.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] had a hard time picking between [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], but he eventually settled on a winner.

Holloway (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) will be a slight underdog when he challenges BMF champion Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in a lightweight bout Saturday at UFC 300 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Volkanovski initially picked Gaethje, but he’s seen a change in fellow former featherweight champ Holloway’s approach after competing against him three times.

“The way some people were talking, I thought maybe they were going to have – you can’t have bad odds on Max Holloway,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “A lot of people are sitting there like, ‘Justin Gaethje, rah, rah, rah.’ Did we forget Max Holloway’s chin? Have we seen him in his last fights? The guy knows how to mix it up. He used to be more hittable back in the day.

“He was always very, very high level, really good at setting up traps but willing to be in front of you and eat some while he’s doing so. Now he’s got a lot more angles. He uses so many more tools. Man, this is going to be an exciting fight. I just don’t think people are expecting Max to come forward and do how he used to be, and Gaethje to just throw some massive bombs. Like them big leg kicks being there. You’re probably going to see muay Thai Max again.”

Volkanovski doesn’t understand why Holloway is being counted out. The former featherweight champion has never been knocked out – even when he went five rounds with Dustin Poirier in their interim lightweight title fight at UFC 236.

“Max is the underdog here, and I think a lot of people are counting him out, and I don’t know why,” Volkanovski said. “I think it’s purely because he’s moving up against a powerful dude like Justin Gaethje, which is fair enough. We can’t forget Max Holloway’s chin. I think it’s just an undefeated chin. It really is (laughs). I’ve tried cracking it. Many people have tried cracking it, and thinking is Justin Gaethje going to be the guy to finish it, I don’t know. It’s hard for me. I’ve said that a few times, and it just doesn’t happen. We’ve seen him be cracked. A couple of Max Holloway’s last fights, he didn’t get hit as much, but he still got cracked with some big shots, ate them like a champ.

“Gaethje’s been five rounds, and we’ve seen him do well in the later rounds. He can go five rounds, but the pace that Max Holloway’s still going to bring, because he’s still going to be there to be hit. Max Holloway will still be there to be hit or to make it a fight. We know Gaethje likes to throw bombs. Can he zap a bit of the life out of Gaethje? I think so. You know Max ain’t going to tire. Five rounder. Look, man, I have to lean towards Gaethje, but man, I thought the odds were going to be worse. The way people are talking, acting like Max doesn’t stand a chance, you’re wrong. He has a massive chance in this.”

Volkanovski decided to settle on Holloway for his final prediction.

“I’m going to say, for my pick, will be Max Holloway,” Volkanovski concluded.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

UFC champ Islam Makhachev blames Alexander Volkanovski’s team for knockout loss to Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev says Alexander Volkanovski’s team should’ve never allowed him to make a quick turnaround vs. Ilia Topuria.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] says [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]’s team should’ve never allowed him to make a quick turnaround vs. [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

Less than four months after getting knocked out by lightweight champion Makhachev at UFC 294 this past October, Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) defended his featherweight title against unbeaten Topuria at UFC 298 in February.

Unfortunately for Volkanovski, he was knocked out in Round 2, and now finds himself sitting on back-to-back brutal stoppage losses. Makhachev points the finger at Volkanovski’s team for letting him compete again so soon.

“Of course (he returned too soon),” Makhachev told MMA Junkie of Volkanovski. “Alex is a good fighter, he is a warrior, everybody knows. He can fight everyday. But I always said that his team is very bad because this mistake is not Alex’s mistake. It’s a mistake the team made because the team has to sit with him and tell him, ‘Hey, it’s too soon.’

“He had a very bad, tough knockout in his last fight. He has to rest for a minimum of three or four months without training, nothing. You have to do some recovery and just wait. He go to fight again too soon. It was a big mistake. He is a warrior, he can come back, but still, he needs some time. He has to listen to his body and give some time for recovery.”

Volkanovski now plans on taking some time off. He is campaigning for an immediate rematch against Topuria at the end of the year, and is even willing to go to Spain to fight him.

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Alexander Volkanovski on Sean O’Malley calling out Ilia Topuria at UFC 299: ‘It better be soon because I’m next’

If Sean O’Malley wants to fight Ilia Topuria, Alexander Volkanovski says he better do it quickly.

If [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] wants to fight [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag], [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] says he better do it quickly.

Bantamweight champion O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) called out featherweight champion Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) after putting on a lopsided beating on Marlon Vera Saturday in the UFC 299 headliner.

With Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) looking to get an immediate rematch against Topuria, who dethroned him by knockout at UFC 298, the former champion warns O’Malley that he won’t get his wish if he waits.

“He called out Ilia,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “Look, unless you fight Ilia anytime soon, if yous can do a turnaround anytime soon, I guess you can have him. I’m having a little rest, but I’m fighting him later in the year, or whenever that is.

“I know I’m fighting for the title next. So if you are going to try to squeeze that in, it better be soon because I’m next. There’s your little window, if you want it. Sean, congratulations on your victory, impressive.”

A quick turnaround would be highly unlikely for O’Malley, who was sporting a cast on his hand and foot after the fight. UFC CEO Dana White dismissed the idea of O’Malley vs. Topuria next, and so did Topuria himself, who suggested O’Malley fight Merab Dvalishvili first.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Alexander Volkanovski: Sean O’Malley’s ‘striking is going to be too much,’ finishes Marlon Vera by TKO at UFC 299

Alexander Volkanovski sees Sean O’Malley avenging his loss to Marlon Vera by finish in Saturday’s UFC 299 headliner.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] sees [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] avenging his loss to [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] by finish.

Bantamweight champion O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) rematches Vera (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) for his first title defense in Saturday’s UFC 299 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) main event at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Vera was able to finish O’Malley in their first fight in August 2020 after kicking him in his peroneal nerve and finishing him on the ground. However, former featherweight champion Volkanovski thinks O’Malley’s striking is far superior than Vera’s.

“Interesting fight,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “On paper and what I’ve seen, who do I lean towards? I lean towards Sean O’Malley, pretty comfortably I’d say that. They’ve already fought, so you’ve got to give that respect where ‘Chito’ has already beat him. Do I feel he can do the same things to Sean? I think that’s going to be hard. I know he’s already beat Sean, but I think Sean’s striking is high level.

“I think it’s pretty underrated. I think people know it’s good, but I don’t think people understand how good it is. His shot selections, his variety in strikes, angles, distance management, his eye. All of that is top-notch. Very, very high level. He’s still young, he’s still in his prime. He’s probably still finding his prime. It just depends now that he’s champion, is he still putting the hard yards in?”

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Not only does Volkanovski see O’Malley posing problems for Vera on the feet, but also on the ground. He predicts O’Malley is the one that gets the finish this time.

“I’m going to have to lean towards Sean O’Malley,” Volkanovski said. “I think his striking is going to be too much. I know ‘Chito’ is going to want to keep it standing. I think ‘Chito’ has to keep it standing. I think Sean O’Malley is even dangerous on the ground. I think he’s going to be hard to take down. I think Sean can give him problems even there. He can throw some nice submissions off his back, and he’s pretty creative there.

“I think it’s going to be a standup fight, which is exciting. You know ‘Chito’ is going to bring it. I just think the movement and that’s going to be too much. I think knowing how Sean O’Malley is going to look for the finish, he’s creative and he’s got a good eye. I think it’s going to be a finish for Sean O’Malley. It could be a submission, but I think it’s going to be a TKO because even if he hurts him and takes him to the ground, I can’t see him looking for a submission.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Ilia Topuria’s coach advises Alexander Volkanovski to take tuneup fight over rematch: ‘That would be the smartest thing’

UFC champ Ilia Topuria’s coach, Jorge Climent, thinks Alexander Volkanovski should reconsider his desire for an immediate rematch.

[autotag]Jorge Climent[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] should avoid taking an immediate rematch against his pupil, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag], at all costs.

Coach Climent, who coaches Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) along with brother Agustin Climent, thinks Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) should really consider taking a tuneup fight before trying to avenge his championship defeat to “El Matador.”

It’s not that Climent is looking to avoid the Australian or even just pursue other opportunities with Topuria. He genuinely thinks that it’s a bad idea for the 35-year-old to try to rematch Topuria right away given his current form.

“I do believe that Volkanovski deserves a rematch for everything he’s done in this sport, plus the short-notice fight he took,” Climent told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “However, if I were his team or his friend, I’d tell him, ‘Look, relax. Go get another fight to get back on your feet, go feel good again, win, and then we go after him.’ That would be the smartest thing he could do. And again, if I were his friend, that’s what I’d recommend him.”

Climent says it’s not a matter of deserving or not. He does believe Volkanovski should be granted a rematch should he want to exercise that option, but he just wouldn’t advise it.

Topuria knocked out Volkanovski to win the featherweight title last month at UFC 298. It was Volkanovski’s second straight KO loss after, four months prior, he was stopped by Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.

“Of course Volkanovski deserves it, but I would find it unfair,” Climent explained. “He’s coming off two defeats, and I don’t see him recovered enough to go for the immediate rematch. That’s why, if I were his friend, I’d tell him, ‘Take it easy, go do another fight, get your confidence back up, and we’ll do it again.'”

Either way, what’s fair is fair, and Climent is not ruling out an immediate rematch with Volkanovski for Topuria’s first title defense. At 145 pounds, he thinks it’s between Volkanovski or former UFC champion Max Holloway.

“I think Volkanovski and Holloway deserve it most,” Climent said. “After that, it’s pretty even among everyone else. I think those two are the ones that most deserve to fight for the title – Holloway and Volkanovski.”

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Brian Ortega praises Ilia Topuria, but thinks Alexander Volkanovski looked off at UFC 298

Brian Ortega thinks Alexander Volkanovski looked off at UFC 298.

MEXICO CITY – [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] looked off at UFC 298.

Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) lost his featherweight title to [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) by second-round knockout this past Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Although all three judges awarded Volkanovski Round 1, Ortega questions Volkanovski’s movement and reactions in the fight.

“Props to Ilia. He won. That was impressive – it was a very, very devastating KO he got,” Ortega told reporters during Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 237 media day. “For Volk, I’m trying to look at it from both perspectives. Either Topuria’s game plan was really good, staying calm, moving back, throwing power punches … and then Volk, I don’t know. To me, it didn’t seem like the same Volk, right?

“Seeing him and being in front of him (in 2021), I’m like, you are moving different. But obviously, you adjust for every opponent that you have, so who knows. But I am curious to see what’s going to happen now in the featherweight division.”

Ortega (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) runs things back with Yair Rodriguez (18-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 237 (ESPN+) headliner at Mexico City Arena.

Topuria doubled down on his dismissal of Ortega, Rodriguez, and Max Holloway as potential title challengers, but Ortega isn’t putting too much stock into that anymore.

“I’m not sure, man,” Ortega said. “My answer to that is always ‘We’ll see.'”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

MMA Junkie Radio #3439: Eric Nicksick joins the show, Jamahal Hill addresses concerns, more

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,439, the fellas welcome in Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick, discuss Jamahal Hill’s recent statements about his return at UFC 300, and touch on the latest news in the MMA world. Tune in!

Demetrious Johnson says Ilia Topuria is just a bad matchup for Alexander Volkanovski: ‘You’re going to sleep’

Demetrious Johnson advises Alexander Volkanovski against taking an immediate rematch vs. Ilia Topuria.

[autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] advises [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] against an immediate rematch vs. [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) was dethroned by Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 298 main event at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. when he was knocked out in Round 2. “The Great” campaigned for a rematch, and is even willing to face Topuria in Spain to get it.

But Johnson isn’t sure if that’s a good idea. He thinks Topuria’s power will continue to pose problems for Volkanovski.

“I watched his (Volkanovski’s) press conference, and he still seems bubbly,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “There’s a spirit about him where he wants to continue to fight, but the question is, does he do an immediate rematch? For me, after listening to the press conference, Volkanovski was like, ‘Man, I was going to start adding more things to the fight.’

“When I sit here, if Ilia gets the opportunity to touch you, you’re going to sleep. So, I don’t know what other tool set he was going to bring to the fight to stop Ilia from getting to him. If they do a rematch, all Ilia has to do is touch him. He has to run away from Ilia Topuria for 25 minutes. … I truly feel like Ilia Topuria is a bad matchup for Alex Volkanovski because he doesn’t get frustrated.”

Volkanovski has been knocked out in his past two fights. Johnson worries about his chin moving forward – especially in a matchup against someone like Topuria.

“I’d be curious to see how he (Volkanovski) would change the game plan because if Ilia touches you, he’s going to go out,” Johnson said. “Especially since his last few fights he’s gotten knocked out. You look at Wanderlei Silva, you look at Chuck Liddell, once you get knocked out and you get knocked again and again, that button goes quicker and quicker and quicker. It happened last night.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

T.J. Dillashaw: Alexander Volkanovski ‘was fighting scared’ at UFC 298, led to Ilia Topuria’s knockout

T.J. Dillashaw says he could tell during the fight that Alexander Volkanovski was scared of Ilia Topuria’s power.

[autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] questions [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]’s game plan vs. [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) lost his featherweight title to Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) by second-round knockout in Saturday’s UFC 298 main event at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Dillashaw thinks Volkanovski looked uncharacteristically tentative and feared Topuria’s power.

“He was only throwing kicks. I know he was scared of the power,” Dillashaw said on the “JAXXON PODCAST.” “You can tell the way he was fighting, he was very scared of Topuria’s power, which he should be to an extent, but he’s never fought like that in the past. The first two rounds, all he was doing was throwing kicks. He wasn’t setting them up. He was just throwing them. He was expecting Topuria to block them.

“I was thinking he was trying to slow down his arms because every time you block a kick, it’s like getting a charley horse in your arm. Every time you get hit there, more blood comes to it. It slows his arms down. So, I was thinking maybe he’s slowing down his arms by throwing kicks and getting him to block, because he wasn’t setting them up. He wasn’t throwing kicks to knock him out. You could tell because if he was trying to do that, you’d throw a combo, finish with a kick, hopefully catch him.”

Dillashaw also didn’t like Volkanovski’s body language whenever Topuria would press forward.

“Every time Topuria would get close, he’d be like backing out and leaning away,” Dillashaw continued. “As soon as I saw that, I was like, ‘Damn, he’s going to get caught.’ He was fighting scared. He was worried about the power. I’m a huge Volk fan. I was wanting him to win. … He just kept leaning away, leaning away from everything and leaning away from the power.

“It was only a matter of time before Topuria caught him because that guy stays so tight. He’s so composed in his boxing, and his combos are great. I think that’s where it went wrong. He was scared. He was afraid of his power and fought scared. Topuria didn’t have anything to lose, Volk had all of it to lose, and he fought that way. He fought scared of his power.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.