Alexander Volkanovski’s ambitions of becoming a two-division world champion were thwarted in a violent manner by Islam Makhachev. ‘The Great’ fell short not once but twice against Makhachev. While the result of the first fight could be debated, Makhachev made sure to leave no doubt in the second fight. He secured an emphatic knockout win to cement his legacy in the UFC. A few months on from that fight, Alexander Volkanovksi revealed a concerning detail about his life prior to accepting the fight. Volkanovski recently sat down for an interview with Ariel Helwani on MMA fighting.
During this interview, he opened up about his mental state prior to accepting the rematch. Makhachev was originally supposed to face Charles Oliveira at UFC 294. However, an injury forced him to pull out of the fight at the last minute, which paved the way for Volkanovski to step in on short notice.
‘The Great’ stated that he was drinking three to four times a week prior to accepting the fight. Needless to say, some fans saw this as an excuse while others saw it as Volkanovski opening up. Here are some of the best reactions to the comments made by Alexander Volkanovski.
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One fan said, “Excuses, just let it go man.”
Another fan said, “Can’t wait for ilia to retire him.”
A fan came to Volkanovski’s defence saying, “Yall don’t even know what an excuse is clearly. Alex is just opening up about his mental state, and yall bash him. Grow tf up….”
Another fan added, “Jon Jones beat DC after a weekend on party powder”
“Excuses Excuses Excuses let it go man you lost the first fight 4-1 Infront of your home crowd.”– commented a fan.
However, amidst all the sarcasm, Volkanovski has the chance to erase memories of his last fight a few weeks from now when he takes on Ilia Topuria.
Alexander Volkanovski to maintain his unbeaten streak at featherweight?
Despite his recent losses, Alexander Volkanovski remains undefeated at 145-pounds. The current champion has faced adversity multiple times during his title reign. However, he has always found a way to secure a win. The fight against Ilia Topuria seems a lot more personal for Volkanovski, as he wants to prove that he is still the best at 145-pounds.
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Topuria, on the other hand, might be sensing a bit of vulnerability. Especially since the recent losses and the mental health struggles that ‘The Great’ admitted he is having to deal with. Regardless of the outcome, fans can expect an extremely competitive title fight at UFC 298.
