Tag: Alexander Volkanovski

‘Volk’s too old’: Watch Alexander Volkanovski’s hilarious skit for UFC 298

Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is ready to break the 35 and over UFC curse.

Featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is ready to break the 35 and over UFC curse.

Only former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has been able to notch UFC title wins at the age of 35 in a weight classe below 185 pounds.

In a skit with Sportsbet Australia, Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) combats Ilia Topuria’s claim that he’s too old with some humor. Volkanovski will look to make his sixth title defense against Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC 298 headliner Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Check out the hilarious promo below:

Topuria made a rose-themed promo, where each rose represents a win, and Volkanovski has decided to break out his roses, too.

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

Israel Adesanya says Alexander Volkanovski about to remind everybody vs. Ilia Topuria: ‘How quickly they forget’

Israel Adesanya paid Alexander Volkanovski a visit ahead of UFC 298.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] paid [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] a visit ahead of UFC 298.

Featherweight champion Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defends his title against Ilia Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the Feb. 17 main event at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Former middleweight champion Adesanya traveled to Wollongong, Australia to spend some time training with Volkanovski at his gym Freestyle MMA. The pair have often spent numerous training camps together at City Kickboxing, where Volkanovski also trains.

“I want to see him in his house on the home stretch, see where his mind set’s at, see how sharp he is and draw energy from it,” Adesanya said on Volkanovski’s YouTube channel. “That’s why I’m here.”

Volkanovski has never lost at featherweight. He’s coming off a knockout loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev this past October at UFC 294, but Adesanya is confident that Volkanovski will silence any doubters against undefeated Topuria.

“Sharp, blade,” Adesanya said of Volkanovski. “My man, he’s on. I like what he said in one of the lead-ups. He said, ‘How quickly they forget,’ and I know that feeling. How quickly they forget. But again, this is where we come through. It’s time to remind them. He’s about to do that in Anaheim.”

Adesanya is on a quest to remind everyone himself after losing his middleweight title this past September at UFC 293. “The Stylebender” took some time off but has hinted at returning soon.

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

Alexander Volkanovski looks forward to making Ilia Topuria have to change his Instagram bio after UFC 298

Ilia Topuria already listed himself as “UFC World Champion” on Instagram, and Alexander Volkanovski can’t wait to give him a “rude shock.”

UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is enjoying the buildup to his next title defense, specifically because of the antics by challenger [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defends his title against Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 298, which takes place at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Ahead of the event, Volkanovski has enjoyed his role in the buildup, given that his opponent has been doing most of the trash talking, and in some people’s eyes filling in the role of the villain.

Topuria, whose confidence is riding high, recently updated his Instagram bio to “UFC World Champion” and “Undefeated 15-0,” meaning he’s already counting a victory at UFC 298.

Volkanovski was amused by the update.

“He’s undefeated, he’s talking, you know what I mean, and people are just laughing it up,” Volkanovski told “FREESTYLE BENDER.” “For me, I get to play the experienced champion, and I’m just going to humble the dude. So for me, I’m like, time will tell. The next press conference, in a couple of days, your words are going to be much different.

“Someone is going to have to go onto their bio on Instagram and change it, literally themselves. What a humbling experience that will be, and I’m going to make sure – I don’t want the manager or the trainers or his wife doing it. I want him personally to change that to 14-1 and ‘contender’ or whatever it is.”

Volkanovski believes Topuria is getting ahead of himself. He plans to humble him at UFC 298 by reminding the world who the best featherweight in the UFC is.

“Earned, not given. That’s something I like using, and it’s been around for quite some time,” Volkanovski said. “I’m all about that quote, and that’s just who I am. I’m not saying he’s not earned this shot, but let’s be real. Look at the way I had to get to the title and a lot of people had to get to the title.

“I’m glad he’s in this position, so I’m fine with that, but now he’s acting like he’s the champion, and he thinks he’s already a superstar, but that will change on Feb. 17. He will have a rude shock. He’s going to have to eat a big humble pie, and I get to do that. This is perfect for my story line.”

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

Alexander Volkanovski: Justin Gaethje probably beats Max Holloway at UFC 300, but it won’t be ‘a whitewash’

Alexander Volkanovski is certainly intrigued by Max Holloway stepping up to lightweight to fight Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is leaning toward [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] beating [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] at UFC 300.

Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) defends his BMF title against former featherweight champion Holloway (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) on April 13 in Las Vegas.

“It’s an exciting one. It’s a fun one,” Volkanovski said on Israel Adesanya’s YouTube channel. “I’m looking forward to that. It’ll be interesting to see. Gaethje, we know his style. He’s going to try and find that chin and find it hard. He puts everything. He’s still calculated, but he lets them go.

“I know Max can get hit, but he’s still calculated enough where you still need to have good enough strategy to land on him. Just empty looping shots ain’t going to land on someone like Max. But Justin Gaethje is more calculated. He doesn’t just throw bombs.”

Volkanovski beat Holloway three times in title fights. After sharing the octagon with him for over an hour, the featherweight champ knows how durable Holloway is but isn’t sure if it’s enough to beat Gaethje.

“Max’s chin is just legendary. Trust me, I’ve been trying to bloody crack that thing for how long now,” Volkanovski said. “If anyone can do it, is it someone like Gaethje, a heavier division and someone that you know is going to put 110 percent into shots that are there?

“You know Max is going to be there the whole time, and he’s shown in some of his fights that he’s mixing it up a lot more, using a lot more tools. It’s going to be interesting. I’m really looking forward to it. If I had to lean towards someone, probably Gaethje, but I do not think it’s going to be a whitewash. I think Max is in for a big chance here.”

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

Alexander Volkanovski: ‘I was drinking every day’ before taking UFC title rematch vs. Islam Makhachev

Alexander Volkanovski is disappointed he ‘was drinking every day’ prior to taking the rematch against Islam Makhachev.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] has shed further light into his frustration and emotional state that made headlines following his knockout loss to [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag].

A lot was made of Volkanovski’s post-fight press conference at UFC 294 in October, when he broke down in front of the media and got opened up on his defeat and struggles with inactivity. During an interview with FREESTYLEBENDER, Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) revealed he was drinking alcohol every day prior to getting the call to rematch Makhachev on just 12 days’ notice.

The Australian, who said he’s not a daily drinker, was caught with his guard down after he was a few months removed from defending his UFC featherweight title vs. Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 in July, and was recovering from a hand surgery. Not being ready to fully seize the opportunity of a rematch with Makhachev, who first beat him in a controversial decision at UFC 284 in February 2023, is something that bothers Volkanovski to this day.

“It was like a little kick up arse for me – I wasn’t disciplined,” Volkanovski said regarding his second defeat to Makhachev. “I’m known for being disciplined all year round, 24/7 and I just wasn’t that time. I was really disappointed. I was more upset with who I was in the previous months leading up to that. To be honest, it made it a little easier because it snapped me out of it. It snapped me out of it. I was drinking every day for like three or four weeks.

“Honestly, that’s unheard of for me – like every day. I’ve never, ever done that. But I was like, ‘Ah, I’m not training much,’ and the surgery and just trying to help around the house I was like, ‘All right, I’ll have a couple of drinks here, they’ll go down good,’ you know what I mean? It was going down too good. Every day I went to cans with the fam and come back and even then I was like, ‘Man, this has to stop.’ I was saying that even the day I before I got the call. I was (183 pounds) that day. I went to my strength and conditioning coach, and we did some tests and I stood on the scale, and I was 83 (kilograms). All the boys in the gym were laughing. I’ve never been that heavy.”

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Volkanovski said the drinking wasn’t out of hand. He wasn’t binge-drinking, but still doesn’t think daily drinking is something a professional fighter should be doing, especially if he’s open to accepting short-notice fights.

On the bright side, Volkanovski does think taking the Makhachev rematch served him some good, because he had to get his vices under control.

“I was like, ‘Let’s do it, I need to snap out of this little rut that I’m in,'” Volkanovski said. “This is exciting, this is a challenge, and this is something I need right now. So I was just a little disappointed that time. Losing is always going to suck, but you lose to a fighter like Islam, it’s OK. I know I can beat him. I’ve proven that, but he caught me. All credit to him. I’m not taking anything away from him. He set up that kick, and there’s not much I can say. I was just disappointed with the guy I was leading into that.”

Volkanovski, No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie pound-for-pound rankings, returns to the octagon on Feb. 17 when he puts his featherweight title on the line against undefeated challenger Ilia Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 298, which takes place at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

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

Ilia Topuria predicts first-round KO of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298: ‘I’m going to put his lights out’

Ilia Topuria has a bold prediction for his title fight against Alexander Volkanosvki at UFC 298.

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] has a bold prediction for his first UFC championship fight.

The undefeated featherweight contender sees himself not only dethroning champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski [/autotag] at UFC 298, but also finishing him – and in the first round. Volkanovski has yet to lose at 145 pounds in his 10-year career as a professional MMA fighter. Yet Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) is certain he will get the job done against Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) come Feb. 17.

“I see myself finishing him in the first round – knockout,” Topuria told UFC Español. “It’s most likely going to be a knockout unless he dives for my legs. I’m going to put his lights out.”

Topuria thinks the time at the top has expired for Volkanovski, who’s now 35. He sees himself as an upgrade to Volkanovski.

“I’m part of the new generation of MMA,” Topuria said. “I bring an evolved style in all areas of the sport: on the feet, in the wrestling, in the grappling. I consider myself a far more complete and effective finisher than Volkanovski.

“The experience is on his side, but the young blood is on my side. This is my moment. God’s timing is perfect, and He’s prepared me for this moment. There won’t be any failure.”

Topuria is a little less than two weeks from the championship fight. He says the majority of the work is done and is happy with the preparation he’s had ahead of the biggest fight in his career.

“I’m not going to say it’s been the toughest camp because every camp we do is always hard, but I will say it’s been the most professional camp I’ve ever done,” Topuria said. “We’ve done a deep analysis on my opponent, and we’re prepared for the fight.”

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Firas Zahabi: Alexander Volkanovski can outstrike Ilia Topuria, ‘ground-and-pound is too ferocious’

Firas Zahabi gives Alexander Volkanovski the edge over Ilia Topuria in most areas.

Firas Zahabi gives [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] the edge over [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] in most areas.

Featherweight champion Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) will look to make his sixth title defense against Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC 298 headliner Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Volkanovski is making a four-month turnaround which the Tristar Gym head coach worries may not be enough time after getting knocked out by lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in October. He still picks Volkanovski to beat undefeated Topuria.

“I have a doubt that maybe Volk is coming back too quick after a KO,” Zahabi said on his YouTube channel. “Even with that doubt, I’m still picking Volk. I’m on the Volk train. I’m just trying to make a case for Topuria. When you come back too fast, too quickly after a knockout, sometimes your pride, your desire for revenge, to redeem yourself, gets the best of you. You want to right that wrong that happened to you, but you went in too early – and a heavy puncher like Topuria might capitalize on that. I don’t think that is going to happen.”

Zahabi thinks Volkanovski is the more well-rounded fighter. Outside of boxing, he sees Volkanovski being more seasoned than Topuria everywhere.

“I think Volk can outstrike him. I think Volk can out-condition him. I think Volk can out-grapple him. I think Volk’s ground-and-pound is too ferocious,” Zahabi said. “I think Volk has way too much five-round experience. Topuria did a great job in his five-round fight against Josh Emmett, but still, Volk, we all know, is levels above. I think Volk is going to outkick Topuria. The boxing is going to be close. I give a slight edge in boxing, mark my words, to Topuria.”

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

UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski: ‘Lightweight definitely in the near future’

Alexander Volkanovski hasn’t given up on his lightweight hopes.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] hasn’t given up on his lightweight hopes.

Featherweight champion Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) lost to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev a second time at UFC 294, this time by knockout when he stepped in on short notice this past October in Abu Dhabi.

Volkanovski, 35, defends his title against Ilia Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in UFC 298 headliner Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Despite falling short to Makhachev twice, Volkanovski has not put 155 pounds on the back burner.

“Definitely not,” Volkanovski said during the UFC 298 pre-fight press conference in Sydney (h/t MacLife). “Obviously straight after – I’m a realist. I’m not expecting a rematch straight away. Everyone’s going to see that. They’re going to be like ‘the age thing’ and all that. There’s going to be some people doubting. ‘Is his time done?’ – which is hyping up this fight, so I’m all good with it.

“But, everybody’s going to be reminded, and everybody is going to be switching a full 180 (degrees) saying there’s nothing left for me at 145, and they want me to go take that lightweight belt. That’s what I plan on doing. I’m going to go out there take care of Ilia and we’ll see what’s next, but lightweight definitely in the near future.”

If Volkanovski can bounce Topuria out of the ranks of the unbeaten at UFC 298, he could consider lightweight next if there’s no clear-cut contender at 145 pounds.

“I like having a clear guy, which is Topuria right now – which is unreal,” Volkanovski said. “But as I said earlier, lightweights are obviously there, so that’s probably something that I’ll look to because I’ll want to fight a few times this year, as well. Who’s next? I don’t know.

“Obviously you’ve got guys like Movsar (Evloev), who’s undefeated and all that. But it just needs to be clear. There’s guys who won’t be too far off, but time will tell who’s there. But while we’re figuring that out, we’ll have some fun fights at lightweight, maybe.”

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

Ilia Topuria’s coach: ‘Everything is in our favor’ heading into UFC 298 title fight vs. Alexander Volkanovski

Ilia Topuria’s coach, Jorge Climent, is confident that his fighter is technically superior to UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski.

The confidence of [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]’s team is at an all-time high as they prepare for their first UFC championship fight.

Topuria, training under Climent Club in Alicante, Spain, is wrapping up camp for his featherweight title bout against champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] in the main event of UFC 298, which goes down Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Jorge Climent, head coach of the gym along with his brother Agustin Climent, believes they’re catching Volkanovski at his peak, despite a recent knockout loss to Islam Makhachev at 155 pounds, and they’ll have the edge in almost all areas entering UFC 298.

“I don’t see him vulnerable at all. He’s still the No. 1 guy at 145 pounds,” Climent told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “Yes, it’s true that he made a bad decision in taking a short-notice fight against someone with the caliber of Islam Makhachev, but I’m sure he as all the motivation in the world to win this fight.

“I don’t see him vulnerable. What I do see is that I see him inferior to Ilia’s level in all aspects. He does have more experience than Ilia, but I don’t see him better in the striking, in the takedowns or the ground. I think this is a fight where everything is in our favor.”

No one has been able to beat Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) at 145 pounds. His three loses came once at welterweight and twice at lightweight in champion vs. champion fights against Makhachev.

Climent is confident Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) will get the job done and dethrone Volkanovski. He believes Volkanovski will try to wrestle Topuria in fear of his striking power. But regardless of how the fight plays out, Topuria’s team is ready.

“The focus has been on all dimensions, because we believe we need to be ready for wherever Volkanovski wants to take the fight,” Climent said. “We know that he’s a very complete fighter, but it all depends on the decision he’s going to make in that octagon.

“With all the trainings we’ve done, I think he’s going to be a bit scared of the power that Ilia has in his hands, and he will try to go for the takedown and make the fight dirty. But really, we’ve trained all aspects of Ilia: striking, jiu-jitsu. His jiu-jitsu hasn’t been on full display in the UFC, but if you look at his fights prior to the UFC, we submitted everyone in the first round.”

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UFC free fight: Alexander Volkanovski stops Yair Rodriguez in fifth title defense at featherweight

Watch Alexander Volkanovski complete his fifth UFC title defense at featherweight ahead of his return at UFC 298.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] has yet to taste defeat at 145 pounds, and that streak has turned him into one of the most dominant champions the division has ever seen.

Last July, Volkanovski successfully defended his UFC featherweight title for a fifth time as he stopped dangerous contender Yair Rodriguez in the main event of UFC 290. It was a dominant showing that had Volkanovski retaining his belt within three rounds.

You can watch Volkanovski’s impressive TKO win over Rodriguez in the video above.

Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defends his featherweight against undefeated contender Ilia Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 298. The card is scheduled to go down on Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. This marks Volkanovski sixth title defense at 145 pounds.

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