Alexander Volkanovski: Islam Makhachev only person I see giving me a tough fight for five rounds
Alexander Volkanovski is confident that no one can outmatch him in a five-round UFC fight.
Former five-time defending UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) was unbeaten for almost 10 years until he ran into lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) at UFC 284. Volkanovski fell merely short in his bid for dual-champion status when he was edged out by Makhachev in a competitive fight.
Volkanovski returned to featherweight to notch a successful title defense against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290, and jumped into a short-notice opportunity to rematch Makhachev at UFC 294. However, Volkanovski wound up getting knocked out in the first round. His return to 145 pounds was not successful this time, as he was dethroned by Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in another knockout loss.
Outside of getting caught, Volkanovski thinks he has the skills to go toe-to-toe with anyone on the roster for five rounds – maybe outside of Makhachev.
“I don’t believe anyone can beat me,” Volkanovski told Fox Sports Australia. “The only person that I can see giving me a tough fight for five rounds is an Islam Makhachev in the first one, as you’ve seen. Everyone else has just got a puncher’s chance. That’s just how I always look at it. I truly believe that, and that’s the confidence I have in myself. No one can beat me.”
With featherweight champion Ilia Topuria relinquishing his title, Volkanovski and Diego Lopes (26-6 MMA, 5-1 UFC) will compete for the vacant title in the UFC 314 main event April 12 at Kaseya Center from Miami (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN/Disney+, ESPN+).
“They can catch me, so I think he needs to be reckless to beat me,” Volkanovski said. “If he tries to fight this perfect fight, it’s not going to work. He needs to try and be reckless and catch me. That’s his best chance, so he’s going to do what we all know he’s going to do and what he’s been doing, which is exciting for the fans, but it opens a lot of doors for me. … (There’s) a lot I can capitalize and that I will capitalize on.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Alexander Volkanovski: Islam Makhachev only person I see giving me a tough fight for five rounds
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