Alexander Volkanovski understands MMA is a sport constructed across the idea of what have you ever executed for me recently.
“Look, I feel lots of people are going to take a look at [those losses] and be prefer it was a nasty run and so they clearly can level to talent and what not,” Volkanovski informed First Take on Tuesday. “It was a short-notice battle that I took [against Makhachev]. I wished to take a high-risk battle with excessive reward. I used to be able to take it on and I believed I may it executed. Didn’t go that approach. Fast turnaround and obtained caught once more [by Topuria].
“However lots of people are going to take a look at that and be like ‘he’s executed,’ and so they have each proper to suppose that. However for me, the man that’s turning up on the health club, seeing what I’m seeing in preparation, I do know I’m not executed. There’s just one strategy to change everybody’s opinion is go on the market this weekend and remind all people. That’s precisely what I plan on doing.”
Following the loss to Topuria this previous February, which got here simply 4 months after Makhachev knocked him out with a vicious head kick, Volkanovski purposefully took off a yr to permit his physique and thoughts to recuperate.
In his absence fighters like Lopes stormed the gates within the featherweight rankings so he’s obtained a number of hype constructed up round him forward of UFC 314 on Saturday.
However Volkanovski guarantees that his absence wasn’t simply an prolonged trip and he’s been always working behind the scenes to make sure his subsequent battle doesn’t finish like his final two.
“Preparation’s the place you continue to obtained it,” Volkanovski defined. “Lots of people are going to take a look at the final two [losses], I had the day off and it’s simple to say he’s executed. However I’m within the health club understanding I’m not executed and so is my coaching companions. Once more, I can simply present everybody and remind them this weekend and that’s the great thing about it.
“Individuals will overlook and that’s why we love this sport, proper? Individuals will be shortly reminded as nicely and that’s precisely what’s going to occur this weekend.”
If there was one disappointing surrounding his upcoming title battle it’s that Volkanovski doesn’t get the prospect to avenge his previous loss to Topuria after he vacated the featherweight title to as a substitute pursue a brand new path at 155 kilos.
As a lot as he wished to cross paths with Topuria once more, Volkanovski can’t get too upset as a result of he’s nonetheless going through a brand new problem from Lopes, who has regarded pretty much as good as anyone on the planet at featherweight over the previous couple of years.
“I clearly wished that rematch with Ilia to simply remind everybody and to get that win again,” Volkanovski stated. “However at the very least I nonetheless get to battle the brand new era of fighter.
“The sport’s developed so I’m combating a younger, hungry man who’s on a little bit of a tear so I nonetheless obtained the subsequent neatest thing for the vacant belt.”
