Alexander Volkanovski explains how he remains composed in situations where top-level fighters panic
As he approaches arguably the biggest fight of his MMA career, Alexander Volkanovski has given insight into how he manages to stay composed and focused in situations where other elite fighters would often waver.
The UFC featherweight champion has recently risen to fame for his dominant displays of fan-favorite fighters like Max Holloway and Brian Ortega, but he has been a scary presence in the promotion for over half a decade. Since joining the company in 2015, he has won 12 straight and is considered the pound-for-pound king.
While discussing his training for UFC 284 during an interview with Michael Bisping, Alexander Volkanovski insisted that most of his camp has been dedicated towards putting him in "sh**y" positions. With that in mind, he detailed the mental edge he has over others when it comes to adversity:
"You'll be surprised, like honestly, even at the highest level how many people don't do that, how many people will give up as soon as they're in a bad position. I've spent most of my camp in these sh**y positions, the worst positions you can think of. The most later stage submissions, later stage dominant positions, all that type of stuff... A lot of people just prevent getting there [to those bad positions]. If the fight doesn't go there, that's a bonus' but I need to be prepared, I need to be ready if it does get there."
Volkanovski believes he has the answer to Islam Makhachev's dominance and isn't afraid of the grappling exchanges that will likely unfold on multiple occasions throughout their fight in February.
Having answered a lot of questions in his championship win over Charles Oliveira last time out, the Dagestani is hoping to snatch away the pound-for-pound No.1 spot and start his reign of terror in the sport.
Check out what Alexander Volkanovski had to say about his mental approach to training in the video below:
Where does the featherweight division go during Alexander Volkanovski's absence?
Alexander Volkanovski is preparing to capture his second title as he makes his way back up to the lightweight division, a weight class that he has previously fought at on numerous occasions.
However, 'The Great' temporarily leaving his division has come at a cost, as the UFC have placed an interim title on the line in a matchup between the flashy Yair Rodriguez and veteran Josh Emmett.
At UFC 284 on February 11, the featherweights will collide in the co-main event, just one fight before Volkanovski takes center stage against Makhachev in Perth, Australia.