"Timing needs to work" - Alexander Volkanovski remains determined to pursue UFC lightweight title despite two unsuccessful attempts
Alexander Volkanovski has already challenged for the lightweight title twice so far. Unfortunately for 'The Great,' he has fallen short on both occasions and to the same foe.
His first shot at the 155-pound strap came in February of 2023, when he made the move up to lightweight in his home country of Australia, and put on a spirited performance. Makhachev, however, took home a unanimous decision win.
Their rematch took place at UFC 294 after Volkanovski replaced Charles Oliveira on short notice. This time around, Makhachev ended the fight decisively, landing a head kick and following up with punches to score a KO win.
This, however, hasn't deterred Volkanovski from his goal of being champion at 155 pounds. Speaking to Megan Olivi ahead of his UFC 298 main event clash against Ilia Topuria, Alexander Volkanovski said:
"I always knew there was a risk going into the fight, but right now, I'm not in a position where I can be like 'Oh, it was 11 days notice, I want another rematch.' I'm just gonna be real, I know that's not how things work, So let's do this featherweight thing and maybe later, we can move up. I definitely still want to chase that lightweight division, it just needs to make sense and the timing needs to work. Right now, it doesn't make sense for me to try and go a third time."
He also went on to add that he is open to facing a lightweight contender in the future and earning a title shot at 155 pounds.
Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments here (2:06 for his comments):
Alexander Volkanovski says he was "drinking every day" leading up to the Islam Makhachev rematch
Following his defeat to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, Volkanovski spoke to the media and detailed how not having a fight booked took a toll on his mental health. Now, he has given fans a closer look into what he was dealing with at the time.
Speaking in an interview, he said:
"I'm known for being disciplined and professional all-year, 24x7, but I just wasn't that time, so I was really disappointed. I was more upset with who I was than the previous months leading into that and to be honest, it made a little bit easier because it snapped me out of it. I was drinking every day for like three to four weeks. That's unheard of for me, I've never ever done that."
Check out the clip here: