UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has always been heavily motivated by a massive challenge. The seemingly unbeatable Dagestani wrestling of lightweight champ Islam Makhachev is his next challenge, which will see Volkanovski move up a weight class in pursuit of a second title. Volkanovski discussed his approach to the upcoming fight, which will headline UFC 284 in February, on the Believe You Me podcast.
“No disrespect to them, but that’s why this fight is so big to me. It’s the Dagestani wrestling, no one can figure this out, they’re on a roll and all that. Khabib’s there. Islam, what he’s been doing his last few fights. All that. I was chasing the champ-champ, that’s what motivated me before I knew who I was fighting. As soon as Islam won and the people talked, something was just like, bang, that’s all that I cared about is taking out Islam.
Volkanovski Determined To Prove That Makhachev is Beatable
It wasn’t even disrespect. All that stuff just made this fight so much bigger. Me accomplishing this goal — not only the champ-champ, it’s obviously going to be incredible, having two belts — but not just that. It’s, while doing that, taking out someone like Islam.
Especially being a featherweight going to move up to lightweight, then fighting not only any lightweight, you’re going to Dagestani-wrestling Islam who’s known to just walk and control and throw around all these lightweights. ‘How’s Alex going to deal with that?’
This just makes when I get my hand raised, it just makes it so much bigger. So that’s what’s motivating me right now, the fight itself. It’s going to be extra special getting both belts on them shoulders, but [also] who I’m taking out in the process.”
Volkanovski continued, simply stating that he loves to be doubted. “Pound-for-pound and all that, it’s really good, champ-champ. But I was really chasing him because you knock off your goals, what’s next, what’s next, the champ-champ’s next, but as soon as it was Islam and people telling me — I love people doubting me.
Seeing people, like, ‘He’s going to be too big, too strong,’ and all this. The challenge, the opponent that I’ve got, that excites me more. Going for this champ-champ and taking out someone like Islam is really what people are going to remember. A lot of people think he’s unstoppable right now, but I’m going to show you that he is stoppable and I can’t wait to go out there and do my thing.”
Do you think Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski can take Islam Makhachev’s title? Let us know in the comments.
