Miami – Alexander Volkanovsky is once again fighting for UFC Gold, but he knows he is in a tough place. That’s why the former champion said he went “over the top” to prepare for UFC 314.
On April 12th, Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) will fight in his 10th consecutive title fight. He will face Diego Lopez in the UFC 314 main event at Kaseya Center for the vacant featherweight title.
All UFC title opportunities are great, but Volkanovski enters this in a row right after the loss of title fights. He is already considered one of the best featherweights in promotional history, but some believe that his best days are behind him.
“A lot of people doubt me, but as usual, if that makes sense, I feel a bit off about it, but now, “Yeah, I think you think, I show Yas,” Volkanovski told reporters on Wednesday’s Media Day. “So I still have something to prove, but if that makes sense, I’m not mad about it. Yeah, I’m going to prove it to myself and I’m going to prove it to the world.”
In the past, Volkanovski said he wanted things to motivate him. Being angry at what others said was a way to annoy yourself for the fight. Now, the 36-year-old says he’s got over it. This time he focused on putting pieces not only on the gym, but also on the table.
“This is the most lean thing I’ve ever had,” Volkanovski said. “I really wanted my body fat to be honest, and I think it’s definitely the lowest ever. It’s 16 weeks of hard camp and real discipline. I didn’t have a drop of alcohol for the entire 16 weeks.
“Work ethic is always there for me, right? The strength of the training. Physically, I always put it in. You’re never going to go to the top because I’m always topping it.
Physical crushing was never an issue, but Volkanovski said, but he admits that the focus is on diet. Rather than sporadically following diet plans throughout training camp, this time he said he was trapped all the time, showing off his tendency to build, rarely wearing a shirt during camp.
Volkanovsky slowly breaks by his standards and then returns to action after 420 days from the cage. Long vacations were important after consecutive losses.
Now, “Great” is eager to prove that he still has the skills to beat the ropes (27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC) to become champion again, as well as to overcome historic statistics and other curses that may not be his favor. Fighters who take part in the title fight with consecutive losses are 1-5, and have never won an indisputable title. If he finishes the job, Volkanovski says it will be his biggest achievement.
“I’ve never been in this situation before,” Volkanovsky said. “I have never left a big break like this. I have never lost two losses. So it’s definitely the biggest battle of my career. Everyone says, ‘Oh, yeah, you did enough’ but I can’t do anything more.
“We’re starting on Saturday with this new title reign. When we talk about legacy, it’s not that big of a thing. The comeback will be a reality.
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