UFC featherweight champion Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski is happy to be fighting The Korean Zombie, but he still wants to share the Octagon with Max Holloway once more. In a recent interview with The MMA Hour, he revealed his disappointment when Holloway pulled out of their scheduled trilogy fight.
Volkanovski was scheduled to face Holloway at UFC 272 on March 5, but Holloway dropped out due to an injury. As a result, he’ll make his next title defense on April 9, facing “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung.
Volkanovski Still open to Holloway 3, says Korean zombie fight is “personal”
“I was disappointed. Man, I just was really looking forward to that fight. I really was. And I just had started… I was ready to get into camp and get things going and end that chapter, and all that type of stuff. But as everyone says, well, ‘Blessed’ [Holloway] says, it is what it is. But it was unfortunate. Of course it’s a big fight, I know people wanted to see it. But what do you do? That’ll just have to wait until later.”
Volkanovski, accustomed to a high level of activity, pushed for a replacement. “I made it clear straight after my fight [in September], I wanted to fight regularly.
Even fighting in March was later than I would’ve liked, because I wanted to go and get some defenses in. I want to fight as much as I can this year.”
As for Chan Sung Jung, for Volkanovski, this fight is every bit as personal as Holloway would have been, thanks to a heel turn the Zombie made in pursuit of the title.
“There was a time where he, I guess, decided to play the heel, or his manager, or someone did anyway. And he was there calling us out and saying some things.
So yeah, there is a bit of history there. You’ve got to remember, that was before. That’s why he was fighting for that No. 1 contender when Brian [Ortega] and him fought, so it shows you that he was close to that title shot, but it didn’t go his way, so that’s why I fought Brian.
Now he went back and did what he had to do. And he’s lucky. Obviously if Max didn’t pull out, none of these guys would be getting the opportunity maybe, we don’t know, but that’s what happened.
So I want to fight, and the UFC wanted us to still fight, so we all agreed that Zombie was the guy to do it with. Again, there is a bit of history. He’s an OG of the division. So let’s make that happen.”
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