“Different Mentality”: Jamal Murray Rallies Behind Alexander Volkanovski Ahead of UFC 298 Title Defense

2023 was probably one of the most unruly times in the career of the noted UFC featherweight champ, Alexander Volkanovski. ‘Volk’ took to the octagon thrice this year, picking up two defeats. But his Canadian friend and the noted NBA star, Jamal Murray, still has his faith in him. He believes ‘Volk’ will forge a strong comeback and prove himself as a true champ.

Most fans may remember that ‘The Great’ had his last fight at UFC 294. But he wasn’t originally scheduled to fight on that night. The UFC CEO, Dana White, and fans lauded Volkanovski’s courage when he accepted the fight against the UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev. He stepped up on a short notice to replace Charles Oliveira and saved the match card. But the fight subjected him to a devastating head-kick KO loss.

Still, his ‘Denver Nuggets’ friend, Jamal Murray, has a ton of trust in his UFC featherweight champion friend. At a recent press meet, Murray received a few questions about ‘The Great’ who has his next fight scheduled for UFC 298 on 18 February 2024. But Murray wanted to see ‘Volk’ before his upcoming fight. He said,

“I’ll find a way to see him. We gotta do a sparring session.”

Murray also talked about the fact that being in a UFC fight requires a different level of preparation than what he does. He also expected his friend to come back stronger with the advent of a new year. The NBA star also said:

“I think it’s a different mentality though for him. Guy is getting hit in the face. So you gotta prepare for that. I think he’s gonna bounce back like he always does. Hopefully, I can see him and chop it up a little bit.”

 

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Being one of ‘Volk’s’ well-wishers, it’s quite apparent that Murray will have his friend’s back. But, is he right to showcase such confidence in Volkanovski? Most fans may already know that ‘Volk’ will be taking on the rising Spanish UFC featherweight, Ilia Topuria, in his UFC 298 showdown. However, a look at the Australian’s record will clarify things better for the fans.

Alexander Volkanovski hasn’t lost a single fight as a featherweight

2023 may have subjected Volkanovski to a couple of losses. But both of them have come against the same fighter, Islam Makhachev. Further, ‘Volk’ fought as a lightweight in both fights to challenge Makhachev for his UFC lightweight title. But he holds an unblemished record in the UFC as a featherweight. ‘The Great’ has fought thirteen times to date in his regular weight class and hasn’t lost even one of them.

Volkanovski’s UFC 298 fight against Topuria will be a title defense fight for him. It’s quite understandable that ‘Volk’ will fight as a featherweight in this upcoming main-event bout. His unblemished UFC featherweight record implies that his NBA star friend, Murray, has a valid reason for believing that ‘Volk’ will come back stronger. However, it’s only time who has the answer to whether Murray’s hopes will turn into a reality or not.