Alexander Volkanovski has not had the best start to 2024. The former UFC Featherweight Champion lost his title to Ilia Topuria shockingly. Topuria stood on his promise to knock Volkanovski out as a right hook in the second round sent the former champ to the shadow realm. However, ESPN MMA analyst and UFC commentator Laura Sanko believes there is still a lot more to his greatness than a knockout loss, as she revealed in an MMA Fighting interview on YouTube.
Alexander Volkanovski is a class act even in defeat. He has made no excuses after losing and gave Ilia Topuria props for sticking to his game plan.
Laura Sanko recently spoke about the problem with the MMA community:
“He is still the greatest featherweight of all time, I’ve felt that way for a long time. This is my problem with the MMA hummingbird memory. One loss does not erase greatness, those are not the same thing.”
Laura Sanko is of the opinion that just because Alexander Volkanovski lost another match, it does not disregard his greatness. According to her, he is still the GOAT of the featherweight division.
Meanwhile, ‘The Great’ is already focusing on the rematch and believes the outcome will be different next time.
Alexander Volkanovski demands a rematch against Ilia Topuria following UFC 298
Alexander Volkanovski is going to take some well-earned rest now. However, when he returns, he will want another shot at the title he has held for so long.
Following his loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298, he did not shy away from giving the due credits to his opponent. However, he also reflected on getting his title back. During the post-fight press conference, he demanded a rematch:
“Obviously, you know, I’ve been a champ for a long time, and you know I want that rematch. That’s something that needs to happen.”
Alexander Volkanovski believes he deserves the rematch because of how long he has held the title. He has also been an ideal champion, never turning down fights.
‘Volk’ has also saved cards by fighting on short notice. All these factors, along with the fact that he was up on the scorecards, warrant a rematch against Ilia Topuria.
The Spaniard wants to have his first title defense in Spain, and Volkanovski has no problems with that. However, whether the fight will materialize or not is for Dana White to decide.
