Alexander Volkanovski shares fiery preview of his return to fighting; promises to fight fire with fire against Ilia Topuria
Alexander Volkanovski suffered the first loss of his career at featherweight when he faced Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in February. The pair headlined the card, where 'The Great' was dethroned via knockout in the second round.
Having suffered consecutive knockout defeats, firstly against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 before a second KO against 'El Matador', the Australian opted to take a long break from competition to let his brain heal.
'The Great' is eager to return to competition towards the end of the year, and is expected to face Topuria in a highly anticipated rematch. Ahead of his return, and potential rematch with the Spaniard, the former champion shared an exciting preview of what fans can expect from him.
During a recent interview with TheAllStar, he said this:
"You're gonna see the same Volk that you've always seen next time I step in there. You're not gonna see a timid Volk, you're gonna see a Volk that fights his fight. You wanna be put in front of me and put yourself in a position to land bombs, be ready for one coming straight back at you."
He continued:
"I can look at that [loss] and not taking anything away, 'cause Ilia is a great fighter... The next Volkanovski is gonna turn up, the real Volkanovski, I guarantee you that. Let's see if Ilia can handle it."
Watch Alexander Volkanovski's interview below from 10:35:
Alexander Volkanovski previews Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier are set to clash in the main event of UFC 302 on June 1 in a highly anticipated fight.
It will be Poirier's third chance to lay claim to an undisputed lightweight world title, and having been submitted in his first two attempts, he will be as motivated as ever to wrap gold around his waist.
Makhachev, on the other hand, will be surpremely motivated to prove he can defend his title against a long-standing lightweight contender. The Dagestani currently has two title defenses, with both coming against Alexander Volkanovski.
Ahead of the UFC 302 main event, 'The Great' shared his thoughts on the clash, saying this:
"Islam's gonna be too good. I think he's too safe of a fighter to make mistakes where he's gonna get caught against someone like Dustin Poirier. [He's] a great fighter, I just think it's a hard fight for anybody. I don't see anyone beating Islam for a while, unless they catch him. The only way I see [him losing]."
Watch Alexander Volkanovski's UFC 302 preview below from 11:30: