Alexander Volkanovski believes the Korean Zombie will be another feather in his cap.
Volkanovski defends his featherweight title against the Korean Zombie in the UFC 273 headliner next week.
“The Great” was originally supposed to face Max Holloway in a trilogy fight. However, Holloway was injured with Zombie stepping in his place.
It will be Zombie’s second attempt at becoming a UFC featherweight champion and he will undoubtedly do everything possible to achieve that goal as it may be his last chance.
Alexander Volkanovski: This Is A Legacy Fight For Me
With all the names that Volkanovski has faced and beaten, Zombie will be a fresh opponent for him.
And as far as what a win means for him? The Aussie believes it will only help his legacy by adding a legend like Zombie to his resume.
“This is a bit of a legacy fight just purely because, I was talking to someone the other day, they were saying his last title shot was 9 years ago. I was like, man, I just started then. I was still amateur then,” Volkanovski told Luke Thomas in a recent interview. “It shows you how long he’s been in the game and at the top. If you look at the legends in the featherweight division, he’s one of them.
“I’ve taken out most of them… but he’s still in the picture now. He’s still top four which is pretty incredible for how long he’s been in this game. So it’s a legacy fight for me. It’s a feather in my cap that you maybe thought wasn’t going to happen, but through injury and all that, it did happen.”
In Zombie, Volkanovski will face a hard-hitter who is willing to take a shot in order to land one.
But while there are dangers he will have to be wary of, Volkanovski is confident in his abilities — especially given the style matchup.
“There’s definitely some dangers there, that’s why I can’t be careless,” he added. “But at the same time, my style covers a lot of the areas where he’s strong. I think I nullify a lot of that just purely because of my style.”
You can watch the full interview below:
