Short notice, you say? That’s no problem for Alexander Volkanovski.
The Preparation
The reigning UFC Featherweight Champion will challenge for lightweight gold once again, when he meets Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 294 this Saturday.
For Volkanovski, the opportunity for double-champ status (and revenge for his February loss to Makhachev) comes on just 10 days notice. While the circumstances could be have been more in his favor with a longer training camp, ‘The Great’ believes he’s got what it takes to finally seal the deal and dethrone the lightweight king.
“I trust that and the preparation, the ability to sharpen things up in that short amount of time,” Volkanovski said on The MMA Hour. “I knew the base that I would have wouldn’t be too bad because again, I have been wrestling, I been doing some stuff, some cardio stuff, and a bit of sparring. So, I’ve still been doing enough and I’m very comfortable with where I am.
“We’ve been full smiles all last week,” Volkanovski said more of his preparation for his rematch against Makhachev. “Everyone in camp was just joyful, happy, and like excited to help me out. And then just with this opportunity, it’s been incredible. I think this is something that I can really take in there: this freshness of no injuries.”
‘More Dangerous Than I’ve Ever Been’
Going into this fight ‘fresh’, Volkanovski is feeling a new version of himself… a more dangerous one at that,
“It’s like I don’t have to prepare for the worst. I don’t have time to prepare for the worst. As I always say, prepare for the worst and five round war, whatever. Can I do five rounds? Yeah, I think I can, but I’m not gonna sit there and kill myself. I don’t have time to prepare for the worst. But what I do have time for is to prepare what I believe is gonna happen and stick to my game plan.
“That’s why I think I’m gonna be more dangerous than I’ve ever been,” Volkanovski continued. “I’ve never really had this sort of mindset going into a fight— a pressure so clear of what I need to do.
Volkanovski’s Got Nothing But Bad Intentions For Makhachev
Islam Makhachev has only lost once in his almost spotless 25-fight career, that coming by way of KO to Adriano Martins in 2015. Despite the odds being against him yet again, Volkanovski aims to be the second fighter to do that, all the way in Abu Dhabi.
“I’ve got a job to do and I’m gonna stick to it. I wanna really set a statement, take this opportunity and take it with flying colors, really set a statement.”
“I believe I finish him,” Volkanosvki proclaimed. “You’re gonna see probably one of the most dangerous Volkanovski you’ve ever seen. Just purely because I can’t afford to do anything else… So it’s like I’m looking at it like, ‘alright, let’s do this’. We’re going for the kill. Stop leaving it to the judges. Let’s just go out there and really set a statement. Got 11 days notice in his home town. Then I go out there and take him right out.
“That’s legacy stuff we’re talking about. This fight itself is legacy. Go out and knock him out, that’s gonna be mind blowing for the world to see. I can’t wait.”
We’ll see if Alexander Volkanovski’s words prove to be true at UFC 294.
