"I read them like a picture book" - Alexander Volkanovski breaks down his training strategy for Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev
Alexander Volkanovski is doing his homework as the backup fighter for the Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhacev title bout at UFC 280.
During an interview with Yahoo! Sports, Kevin Iole asked Volkanovski how hard it must've been to prepare for two possible opponents. Surprisingly, though, the UFC featherweight champion revealed that, for him, it hasn't been very difficult at all:
"Again, my coaches have done such a great job to give me the understanding of this game, and my style, and all that where now, like, you know, it's like... it's like you say reading people like a book. I read them like a picture book, you know what I mean? Like, I don't even have to read it out loud. I can just see it and that's it. That's just how it is for me."
Watch Alexander Volkanovski's interview below:
Volkanovski added that his teammates tried to emulate Oliveira and Makhachev to give him different looks during their sparring sessions. With all this in mind, 'The Great' believes he's in a good position to win should he be asked to step up.
Alexander Volkanovski breaks down game plan for Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev
Alexander Volkanovski is confident that his supreme fight intelligence will carry him through a potential title fight against either Charles Oliveira or Islam Makhachev.
During the same interview with Yahoo! Sports, the reigning UFC featherweight champion provided a breakdown of how he intends to approach each of his potential opponents:
"Obviously with Islam you're going to be worrying about wrestling, so I'm going to need to do a couple of other things with Charles. There's a certain style that he does on his feet. He's orthodox. He's a little more upright. There's a few other things. But I mean, again, straight away, I know, all right, well, he does that because he does this. He leaves these openings."
Watch Alexander Volkanovski's video below:
Preparing for #UFC280…
youtu.be/PUOTBeV4cjQ https://t.co/HMAj7gxYI4
Backup fighters often have a slim chance of succeeding as they prepare under suboptimal circumstances. However, 'The Great' believes his well-rounded style allows him to match up against a wide-ranging style of opponents.
Volkanovski is also expected to receive the next lightweight title shot if the original UFC 280 main event pushes through as planned.