"I definitely feel a bit of empathy for the fighter" - Eugene Bareman discusses Alexander Volkanovski's masterful performance against 'The Korean Zombie'
World-renowned MMA coach Eugene Bareman recently addressed Alexander Volkanovski’s incredible performance against ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung.
Volkanovski defended his UFC featherweight title via fourth-round TKO against Jung at UFC 273 on April 9. Before round four, 'The Great' empathetically asked Jung – who’d sustained significant damage – whether he wanted to continue.
During a recent interview with Combat TV, Bareman was notably asked about the same and whether he feels empathy for his fighters’ opponents. Bareman responded by stating:
“I do and I don’t. It’s a really; it’s a funny old place to be. Like, I know that for my guy to win, he has to hurt that guy. It’s a kill-or-be-killed-environment. So, if we’re not hurting him, then he’s hurting us. So, that’s the nature of fighting. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t feel empathy. I hundred percent do.”
“There’s a couple of occasions in my career as a coach, where I’ve even asked my fighter to back off the guy between rounds. That doesn’t happen often, but yeah, sometimes, it’s necessary. So yeah, I definitely feel a bit of empathy for the fighter.”
@alexvolkanovski finishes Chan Sung Jung in the 4th round! 
#AndStill UFC Featherweight Champion! 🏆
🇦🇺 @alexvolkanovski finishes Chan Sung Jung in the 4th round! 👊
#UFC273 https://t.co/GeKd7rzYUV
Bareman emphasized that he most definitely wishes the opponent well after the fight. Furthermore, the City Kickboxing coach believes that fighters should make the most of their short time in the sport.
Volkanovski trains primarily under the tutelage of head coach Joe Lopez of the Freestyle Fighting Gym in Wollongong, Australia. ‘The Great’ also trains at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand and under Bareman at the CKB gym in New Zealand.
Bareman lauded Lopez and Volkanovski for the latter’s dominance against Jung while praising the resilient Korean for being “a very nice man” and “a very humble warrior.”
Watch Bareman’s interview with Combat TV below:
Alexander Volkanovski on his grueling fight against ‘The Korean Zombie’
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Alexander Volkanovski revealed that his hands were swollen many days after his showdown with ‘The Korean Zombie.’ Clarifying that he thankfully didn’t fracture his hands, Volkanovski addressed the aftermath of facing the hard-to-finish Jung and said:
“My hands are sore and stuff like that and I've got to do what we're going to do.” ‘Volk’ continued, “It was actually a lot worse, but it's all good. It's all good now. No breaks.”
Watch the interview below:
Alexander Volkanovski is scheduled to defend his UFC featherweight title in a trilogy fight against Max Holloway at UFC 276 on July 2. ‘The Great’ already holds a pair of victories over Holloway, albeit in closely-contested bouts.