Tag: Alexander Volkanovski

Max Holloway believes in Alexander Volkanovski heading into UFC 298 title fight vs. Ilia Topuria

“If I was a betting man, how do you bet against Volk?” Max Holloway said before UFC 298.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] views [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] as a safe bet over [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defends his featherweight title against Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC 298 main event Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Having lost to Volkanovski three times in title fights, Holloway finds it hard to pick against the champion – even though he’s coming off a knockout loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in October.

“As long as Volk has the healthiest training camp, a great training camp, he doesn’t get hurt in his training camp, it’s hard to bet against Volk,” Holloway told Kevin Iole. “But you never know. It’s MMA, Topuria’s a young dude, so we’ll see what happens. A lot of people are counting Volk out because of his last fight.

“The only reason he could get affected is if he gets hurt in camp, but I think the coaching staff, Eugene (Bareman), everyone around there are too smart to let Volk go in there hurt. If I was a betting man, how do you bet against Volk? But we’ve seen more wild stuff happen in MMA.”

Topuria is oozing confidence ahead of his first crack at gold. The unbeaten rising star even updated his social media biography to UFC champion, but Holloway says sometimes you need that kind of confidence to achieve greatness.

“The confidence is the confidence you need, man,” Holloway said. “If you don’t have that confidence, you’re not down to be great. Some people think it’s weird, some people think it’s wild. Some people have that kind of confidence behind closed doors, and some people have that kind of confidence on social media.

“At the end of the day, it is what it is. I’m not going to throw nothing at the guy if that’s the confidence he needs to go there and that’s the confidence you need to be in a world championship fight, to work hard, to get to this point. It means a lot, and if that’s what it takes for you to get there then that’s what it takes.”

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

Alexander Volkanovski leans toward Dricus Du Plessis over Sean Strickland if cardio holds up at UFC 297

Alexander Volkanovski believes Dricus Du Plessis will beat Sean Strickland if he’s still fresh in the later rounds.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] believes [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] beating UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] will depend on his cardio.

Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) makes his first title defense against Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 297 main event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Du Plessis slowed down in his finishes over Darren Till and Derek Brunson, but after undergoing nose surgery this past April, he was able to have his cleanest performance in the octagon when he finished former champion Robert Whittaker by TKO at UFC 290. If his deviated septum was indeed the cause, featherweight champion Volkanovski likes Du Plessis’ chances.

“It’s going to be a standup battle, and I still think it’s pretty 50-50 on the feet,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “I think he’s pretty awkward, Du Plessis. The later rounds, I want to say, obviously Du Plessis ended up having his nose surgery. He said that was giving him a lot of grief, and he said he felt great in his last one. It definitely made a difference, so let’s see.

“Because I think cardio, we know Sean Strickland doesn’t waste too much energy, spars thousands of rounds, so he can go the five rounds every single time. He can bring it on in the last two rounds, and I think Du Plessis can too, so that’s why I’m sort of more unsure. If I could guarantee Du Plessis’ gas tank is going to hold up, I’m more leaning towards Dricus. I think Dricus maybe does have more ways of winning but yeah, it’s going to be a very interesting fight.”

UFC 297 takes place Saturday at Scotia Bank Arena in Toronto. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Alexander Volkanovski dismisses notion that UFC 298 is too soon to come back: ‘I just can’t see it’

Contrary to what others might think, Alexander Volkanovski says he’s had plenty of time to prepare for UFC 298.

Featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] thinks he’s had plenty of time to prepare for UFC 298.

Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defends his title against [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the Feb. 17 headliner at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Volkanovski’s return comes just under four months after suffering a knockout loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in October.

He appeared emotionally vulnerable in his post-fight speech, but Volkanovski assures he’s had plenty of time to prepare for the undefeated contender.

“He’s a good matchup,” Volkanovski told Michael Bisping on his YouTube channel. “A lot of hype around him, undefeated, I think this is just the perfect bounce-back fight for me, as well. A lot of people are saying he’s dangerous, which look, he is dangerous. He’s a powerful dude. He’s undefeated. That’s a story in itself. You’ve got the story of what happened in my last fight. People are like, ‘Oh, is he coming back too soon?’ All this is a part of the story. When I look at it, I’m like, ‘Mate, I’ve been in camp for that long. I’m hearing people saying, Oh, he’s back too soon.’ I just can’t see it.

“I’ve been busting my ass for that long. I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’ Like, I’ve had that much time. This has been a very long camp for me. Obviously I followed all the protocols after it from concussion and that like, I’m lucky enough to have a great team around me. But we followed that to a T, and that’s why the fight was pushed back a month because we just thought January was rushing. We wanted that extra month where I could ease into it and then start camp. That’s what we did.”

Win or lose, Volkanovski is confident in his skills. He fought three times in 2023 and just wants to pick up where he left off.

“I’m not doing this just to get my head right,” Volkanovski said. “I’m doing this because I want to be active. I want to be busy, and I know it’s enough time. A lot of people are going to sit there and say there’s the mental side of things and I get that, but I’m just different. I go into every fight like I’m a pretty confident guy where I believe the only chance a lot of these guys that I fight have of beating me is by catching me.

“So it’s not like, ‘Oh, he got finished, now he’s going to second guess.’ I always fight smart. I always try and be calculated. If I lose, a good chance of that happening is from getting caught. I’m aware of that. I’ve always been that through my whole career. Nothing has changed for me, even in the gym, in sparring. … It’s just another camp. Busting my ass, pull myself through the wringer like I always do, and that’s just that.”

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

Ilia Topuria reacts to ‘old’ Alexander Volkanovski prepping with Brad Riddell for UFC 298

Alexander Volkanovski has sought help from Brad Riddell in preparation for Ilia Topuria.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] has sought help from Brad Riddell in preparation for [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

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

Volkanovski has been sparring with City Kickboxing teammate Riddell, who he thinks is a perfect look for Topuria’s style.

“I’ve got Brad Riddell over, who’s obviously a great training partner just in general, but even stylistically,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “He’s obviously a very good boxer himself. I think he can sort of simulate Ilia. To be quite honest, I think he can give me a lot more problems than what Ilia will – and that’s not knocking Ilia, that’s just showing how good Brad is.

“Obviously Brad’s had hundreds of kickboxing matches and had a heap of boxing matches, and he’s a strong, stocky, powerful dude as well so it’s good to have him in.”

Topuria chimed in on Volkanovski’s training camp, and is still sticking with his prediction of an early finish.

“If you think someone can imitate me, that means that your last fight has left you with lasting effects! I will knock you out in the first round. You’re old, it’s time to retire. It is time to move on and make way for the new era of Topuria.”

Undefeated Topuria has shown championship promise in his performances so far, but Volkanovski vows to put an end to his hype.

“I see he’s confident,” Volkanovski said. “He’s a cocky, confident young dude. Let’s see if he can really bring it because I know I’m going to. I can’t wait to show him levels.

“I’ve seen a lot in my game. I still feel like I’m in my prime. I get to show this young kid that there’s levels and I am the king of this division, and he ain’t taking nothing from me. I’m coming for that zero.”

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

Henry Cejudo critiques Sean Strickland, Alexander Volkanovski for opening up: ‘Keep some of that sh*t to yourself’

Henry Cejudo thinks Sean Strickland and Alexander Volkanovski shouldn’t share their personal struggles.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] shouldn’t share their personal struggles.

Middleweight champion Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC), who defends his title against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 on Jan. 20, emotionally broke down in a recent interview with Theo Von when telling stories from what he said was a traumatic childhood.

Cejudo thinks instead of going after Ian Machado Garry and Sean O’Malley’s wives – as well as throwing homophobic slurs when describing Du Plessis’ relationship with his coach – Strickland should use his past trauma in a positive way.

“I wouldn’t share things that bug you if you can’t be an advocate for it – especially to the world,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “You’re talking about peoples’ wives and you’re calling people ‘f*gs’ and things of that nature. How do you not expect somebody else to come at you?”

Cejudo lambasted both Strickland and UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC), who spoke about his mental health issues after his second loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.

“Sean, I hope you can come to the consensus to be able to accept the fact that you’re in this game, bro,” Cejudo said. “Learn how to play. Don’t be (a crying baby). You can’t, man.

“It’s the same thing with Volkanovski. Volkanovski is showing his cards that he goes through anxiety if he doesn’t fight. Bro, what the f*ck? Keep some of that sh*t to yourself. The world doesn’t need to know – especially if it’s going to affect you (in a fight).”

Volkanovski insists he’s OK, and already is booked for his next fight. He will look to make his sixth featherweight title defense when he meets unbeaten Ilia Topuria in the UFC 298 main event Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

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Video: From Jones-Miocic to Edwards-Strickland, what’s the worst fight booking idea for 2024?

From ignoring interim titles to jumping weight classes, our “Spinning Back Clique” discuss the worst fight ideas to take place in 2024.

A new year brings new fights, but some of the proposed matchups ahead for 2024 don’t exactly make the most sense.

Perhaps the shining example, for better or worse, is the UFC’s plan to stick to having the heavyweight champ [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]’ next fight be against [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag]. The fight scheduled for UFC 295 was scrapped due to a Jones injury that will likely have him sidelined until Q4, led to the creation of an interim title that Tom Aspinall won.

But the UFC wants to overlook Aspinall’s piece of gold, and forgo unifying the title at the next opportunity? Red card! 

As has been the recent trend in the UFC, whenever a fighter wins a title, they want to jump to the next division to capture a second quickly. Chasing title defense records seems to be a thing of the past, with a few exceptions.

In 2023, we saw featherweight champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] attempt to win lightweight gold twice and come up short. Heading into 2024, multiple champions including [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] have expressed a desire to move up to the next weight class to chase champ-champ status.

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Which of these ideas prompted by the promotion or the fighters worthy of a yellow or red card?

That’s what we asked our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura, who tackled the topic with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Check out their conversation above, and don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

Josh Emmett on Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria: ‘It’s hard for me to bet against such a dominant champion’

Josh Emmett is conflicted in his pick between UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria.

[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] is conflicted in his pick between UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] and [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defends his title against Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC 298 headliner Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Emmett (19-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) recently suffered a lopsided decision loss to Topuria but was able to rebound with a Knockout of the Year contender against Bryce Mitchell at UFC 296. He has a hard time picking a definitive winner between Volkanovski and Topuria but sees the five-time defending champion as a safer pick.

“It’s hard for me to predict fights, but I can argue how both guys get it done,” Emmett said on the JAXXON PODCAST with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. “Volk is one of the pound-for-pound best. He continues to improve and kind of prove people wrong, as well. It’s always like the fight, like OK, ‘He’s going to lose now.’ But then he finally got to the point where he’s earned people’s respect.

“But Ilia’s young, he’s hungry, he’s talented. I know he’s been saying a lot of stuff, like how he’s going to go out there and finish him in the first round and stuff like that. Hopefully he’s not overlooking him. I don’t think he is. I think that’s just kind of a part of his persona. I don’t know. It’s hard for me to bet against such a dominant champion.”

Emmett had his opportunity at gold when he was submitted by Yair Rodriguez for the interim featherweight title at UFC 284. Two of Volkanovski’s past three fights were for the lightweight belt, but Emmett doesn’t think he held up the division.

“I don’t at all,” Emmett said on having an issue with Volkanovski fighting at lightweight. “He was a pound-for-pound No. 1. The guy’s earned his respect. Let him do whatever the hell he wants to do. He’s bouncing back and forth. He’s super active. He’s the one that was campaigning for Yair and I to fight for the interim title.

“I have no bad taste in my mouth. He’s a good dude. Like, he’s a great, great champion, and he’s a good person, as well. When I was fighting Yair in Perth earlier this year, he brought his belt and he’s like, ‘Hey, you want to hold this? This is what you’re fighting for.’ He’s a good dude.”

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

MMA Junkie’s 2023 Fight of the Year: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski

Check out which epic battle earned MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Year award for 2023.

With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best fights from January to December 2023.

As voted on by our entire staff, here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Year.

Honorable mentions

UFC in 2023: A ridiculously robust look at the stats, streaks, skids and record-setters

Check out a full recap of 2023’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.

Now that the year has come to a close, and with a major assist from UFC research analyst and live statistics producers Michael Carroll, here are some of 2023’s most significant milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.

Video: Which first-quarter 2024 UFC matchup is the most intriguing?

The first quarter of the UFC’s 2024 slate isn’t quite complete, but it already looks promising.

The first quarter of the UFC’s 2024 slate isn’t quite complete, but it already looks promising.

To open the year, the UFC has three pay-per-view main events booked – all title fights and one each for January, February and March:

  • UFC 297: Middleweight champ [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]
  • UFC 298: Featherweight champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]
  • UFC 299: Bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]

In addition to those headliners, we also know about newly signed [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag], [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag], [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] vs. Merab Dvalishvili, and more.

Which of these first-quarter matchups is the most intriguing? Our “Spinning Back Clique” of Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and Brian “Goze” Garcia answered that question with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their discussion in the video above or check out this week’s full episode on YouTube or in podcast form.