"I'm beyond impressed with this guy"- Chael Sonnen applauds Alexander Volkanovski stepping up on short notice to be the backup for Islam Makhachev vs Charles Oliveira at UFC 280

Chael Sonnen is impressed by Alexander Volkanovski being the backup fighter for the UFC 280 main event.

T-minus 7️⃣ days...

#UFC280 | October 22, 7pm | BT Sport Box Office ▶️ bt.com/sport/box-offi… https://t.co/ZL0Kjjh92U

Volkanovski has been vocal about potentially moving up to the lightweight division. “The Great’ put action to his words by signing on as the backup for the lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev.

It’s Official, I’m the back up fighter for the Light Weight title!
See you all in Abu Dhabi 👊 #UFC280

youtu.be/Sq8p0Qg2vbs

The MMA media continues to give Volkanovski credit for taking such a massive risk. During a recent YouTube video, Sonnen praised the UFC featherweight champion:

“What more could you possibly want from Volkanovski? I am beyond impressed with this guy. Truly, I am beyond impressed.”

Volkanovski might not fight at UFC 280, but being the no.1 pound-for-pound fighter and willing to be a backup is respectable. ‘The Great’ has shown whether it’s at UFC 280 or next year, he’s serious about fighting at lightweight.

Watch Chael Sonnen praise Alexander Volkanovski below:

Chael Sonnen thinks Marlon Vera has a right to be frustrated with Sean O’Mally vs. Petr Yan matchup

Another highly-anticipated fight at UFC 280 is Sean O’Malley vs. Petr Yan. O’Malley has landed a massive opportunity, but not everyone is thrilled about the matchup. Fellow bantamweight contender Marlon Vera has a win over ‘Sugar’ and finds himself outside the no.1 contender fight.

Chael Sonnen recently expressed his understanding of Vera’s potential frustration by saying:

“Chito Vera should be the number one contender, but Sean O'Malley's the one in the number one contender's match. Oh, by the way, Sean O'Malley, prior to the reversal [from] the Sugar State Athletic Commission had a loss to Chito, and it was his only loss. Chito has the right to be annoyed. Chito has the right that Sean appealed it to the Sugar State Athletic Commission, that in and of itself has a degree of unsportsmanship, like I could not fault Chito in the least."

Although an argument could be made that O’Malley skipped the line, Vera is also one win away from a title shot. ‘Chito’ has had a long journey to being ranked in the top 5, but his experience could be an advantage if he gets to a bantamweight title fight.