"Izzy was replicating Yair's kicks so well!" - Alexander Volkanovski undergoes 'hellish' training with Israel Adesanya-Craig Jones for UFC 290
Alexander Volkanovski has employed the help of Israel Adesanya for his next featherweight title fight, an epic clash against Yair Rodriguez in the UFC 290 main event.
'The Great' will be facing arguably the most dangerous striker in the division, as Rodriguez is exceptionally unique and skillful on the feet. 'El Pantera' has a background in Taekwondo, which he began at five years old. His vast arsenal of kicks, knees, elbows and punches makes him entertaining to watch.
In preparation for the UFC 290 headliner, Alexander Volkanovski has been training with Israel Adesanya, Craig Jones and Joe Lopez - his longtime coach. Adesanya, who has exceptional striking skills, will be used to replicate the stand-up style of Rodriguez.
Jones will be in charge of the grappling sequences, and Joe Lopez will help conduct the entire orchestra.
Alexander Volkanovski recently released a video of him doing a 'shark tank' with Adesanya and Jones, which consists of continuous rounds of grappling and striking with pause.Volkanovski was captured saying this:
"Fight simulator. Fight gone bad, and not only a hard enough session as it is. I've got Joe [Lopez] on pads, Izzy is striking and Craig doing the wrestling and grappling. That's how you put yourself through punishment."
Watch the video below:
Fans went ballistic after seeing a super-team consisting of Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski and Craig Jones.
They noted the level of skill that Volkanovski has surrounded himself with, and how that will translate into success in the octagon. Other fans focused on the champion's opponent at UFC 290. See some comments below:
"Izzy was replicating yair's kicks so well ! Definitely going to help Volk out in the long run for this fight"
"Man’s a featherweight training with Middleweights and light heavyweights. God help the rest of the 145/155ers"
"Izzy and Craig are such a dream team of a fight crew! So cool to see 3 world class athletes going at it."
"Damn Volk! That's one hell of a training session and you can see how you are able to maintain such a hellish pace in your fights when you are doing these sessions in the gym"
See the comments below:
Ilia Topuria predicts a first-round KO against Alexander Volkanovski
Ilia Topuria is one of the most promising contenders across all divisions in the UFC.
Topuria's statement-making win against Bryce Mitchell at UFC 282 moved him up to No.9 in the featherweight rankings. However, despite the large gap between himself and Alexander Volkanovski, he predicted he would KO 'The Great' inside one round.
He is set to face Josh Emmett in the main event of UFC on ABC 5 this weekend, and said this during the pre-event press conference:
"Same as always, I'm gonna finish [Volkanovski] in the first round."
"I'm going to finish in him in the first round": Ilia Topuria has a bold prediction for champ Alexander Volkanovski. 😳
#UFCJacksonville | Full video: tinyurl.com/IliaVolk https://t.co/c00ikwyPnz