"I’d hate to see his legacy fall apart" - UFC featherweight contender voices concern over Alexander Volkanovski's rapid turnaround
A fellow UFC featherweight contender is apprehensive about Alexander Volkanovski's upcoming bout.
'The Great' is gearing up to defend his UFC featherweight title against Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC 298. The pay-per-view event is scheduled to take place on Feb. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The Volkanovski vs. Topuria showdown is slated to take place less than four months on from the Australian suffering a devastating head kick knockout against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in a short-notice rematch at UFC 294 last October.
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, No. 3-ranked featherweight contender Arnold Allen voiced his skepticism about Volkanovski's quick decision to return to competition:
"I don’t like how soon Volk’s coming back after that fight. It was a few months ago now, but still, then you should’ve probably taken a long time out of the gym, or definitely not sparring for at least a month or something. And then to go straight back? But if he’s the kind of guy who went full bore straight into it, hopefully, he’s in tip-top shape."
He added:
"I just hope Volk turns up tip-top and you get the best version of him and it’s not [too soon]. I’d hate to see his legacy fall apart because of a silly decision."
Check out Arnold Allen's comments below (14:25):
Volkanovski has maintained an undefeated record as a featherweight since joining the UFC in 2016, solidifying his status as one of the all-time greats in the 145-pound division.
'The Great' has secured wins against renowned fighters like Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, and 'The Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung.
Alexander Volkanovski previews his fight with Ilia Topuria
During his appearance on the Who The Fook Are These Guys? podcast last month, Alexander Volkanovski offered insight into his upcoming UFC 298 bout against Ilia Topuria:
"I want to teach him a lesson, humble him a little bit. Let him wake up to himself and then he can bounce back... He needs the world to see it. Let me do my thing in front of the world, a little humbling experience for him. Maybe he needs a bit of embarrassment, then snap things into gear. Maybe he can one day be a great champion... I'm going to teach him a lesson, I'm going to embarrass him."
Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments below (26:30):