UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski feels as if he is on the cusp of greatness. With a third fight against former champ Max Holloway looming, Volkanovski appeared on The MMA Hour to declare that another victory over Holloway would land him squarely in the “GOAT” category.
“I beat him three times in his prime. How do I not take that GOAT status? This is what’s good about this fight.
Volkanovski Chasing “GOAT Status” at UFC 276
You and everyone are going to say that I’m the GOAT, I’m the pound-for-pound No. 1 – look at what position this one will put me in, because look at what position he’s in and he’s gone on a tear as well with wins himself, so this certainly makes this fight better and only puts me in a better position if I get another win over him right now.
People can’t say he’s done. That’s all crap. So if they haven’t jumped on board now, they will jump on board.” Volkanovski’s last victory over Holloway was widely disputed. Many felt that Holloway won the fight, which went Volkanovski’s way on the judges’ scorecards. Alexander “The Great” isn’t fazed.
“At the end of the day, I don’t really care what some people think. People can say whatever they want. I am 2-0 against him. That’s just fact. At the same time, yeah, it would be good. Doing this would put me in a better position. There’s still going to be people that there are some question marks there. Alright, I go out there, and they’re all on board.
Do I care about these people that are probably going to make another excuse – a lot of the haters are still probably going to make an excuse about whatever happens, even if I get another finish.
So do I really care about that? No, but in saying that, I still believe there are question marks there for some people, so going out there and putting that to bed, yeah, I reckon it does put me in a better position. You go out there and do this, because let’s remember, he’s in his prime. I beat him twice in his prime.”
The next move, says the champ, is to try his luck at 155 pounds, just as another champion did before him. Can Volkanovski repeat Conor McGregor’s feat and become simultaneous two-division champ?
“You’re talking bigger money, you’re talking everything. So at the end of the day, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to get everyone on board. We’re talking about having a legacy and looking after my family forever, in doing so you need to do these types of things.”
What are Volkanovski’s chances ahead of the Holloway trilogy fight? Let us know in the comments.
