UFC 290: Alex Volkanovski loves being a champion, loves talking about fighting and especially loves mega-fights
LAS VEGAS — Alexander Volkanovski's Wednesday was filled with hours upon hours of talking: He appeared at UFC 290 media day, then spent a few hours doing interviews with reporters, bloggers, talk radio hosts and television sports directors, hyping his fight for the undisputed featherweight title Saturday with Yair Rodriguez at T-Mobile Arena.
It was an exhausting schedule that Volkanovski gleefully agreed to handle.
He's the UFC's longest-reigning champion, having held his belt since Dec. 14, 2019, when he edged arch-rival Max Holloway. Fighters strive to win the belt for years, but upon gaining it, they can lose their appetite for all the promotional work they're required to do. It becomes a chore, and most notably, Conor McGregor refused to break training camp in Iceland in 2016 to do a news conference in Las Vegas for an upcoming fight with Nate Diaz.
One of the most engaging athletes you'll ever meet, that's the last thing Volkanovski might ever do. Rather than despise doing the media to promote the fight, he loves it.
Asked what's worst about being champion, he took a minute to think before responding.
"Mate, nothing really; absolutely nothing," he said. "I f***ing love this s***."
He loves promoting his fights, which helps lead to endorsement deals that pad his income. He doesn't mind doing meet-and-greets with his growing list of sponsors, a task that often becomes burdensome to many. And he is eager to fight the best on a regular basis.
He's coming off an agonizingly close loss in a bid for the lightweight title against Islam Makhachev in February and he's already talking about either a rematch with Makhachev or a different champion-versus-champion bout with bantamweight title-holder Aljamain Sterling. Sterling defends his belt against Sean O'Malley in Boston next month, and said he'd like to move to featherweight after that.
Volkanovski said he'd welcome the challenge.
" ... A lot of the time, what guys tell you [in the media] is a lot different than what they say to us behind closed doors when we talk to them about taking certain fights," UFC president Dana White told Yahoo Sports. "But [Volkanovski] is one of those guys who, when he says anyone, anywhere, any time, he means it. If you're a champion, you're going to have to fight these guys at some point or another. He loves it. He's always wanting to do big things; fight the best can find."
He'll get an elite one Saturday when he faces Rodriguez, who dominated Josh Emmett and submitted him in the fourth round on the same card in Perth, Australia, where Volkanovski lost to Makhachev.
Volkanovski is a -350 favorite at BetMGM, with Rodriguez at +265. Rodriguez has vowed to pull an upset and told Yahoo Sports he sees holes in Volkanovski's game he feels he can exploit.
Volkanovski was hardly bothered. He loves a good promotion and some trash talk never hurts. Part of the reason he is so free with his time is because he's trying to build himself into a pay-per-view-selling star and knows it just doesn't happen without a lot of out-of-the-cage effort.
So when Rodriguez talks about the holes in his game, rather than get annoyed, Volkanovski essentially encourages him to keep it up. But he said while he does have holes in his game, exploiting them is an entirely different matter altogether.
"When I was challenging Islam, I was speaking the same way," Volkanovski said. "When you're taking on a big challenge, that's a good mindset to have. Look, let's be honest, he probably does see holes in my game. I'm sure he's watching my fights and he sees things he thinks he can capitalize on. That's how he should be thinking, and talking. But look, trying to capitalize on them and take advantage of them while I'm in front of him doing my thing is a different story.
"Look, I see a lot of holes. I've been doing the same thing with him. You guys are like, 'Oh wow, Yair, he looked great in that fight with Emmett. Oh my God!' And when I turn up in the gym, I've told myself this guy is the most dangerous guy in the UFC now. But I'm looking at the holes in his game, too, and working on doing my thing there. It's not just a one-way street."
Volkanovski's kept his belt against a who's who of the best 145-pounders in the UFC for nearly four years because he is so invested in his preparation that he leaves nothing to chance. And while he raves about Rodriguez's talent, he believes that no matter what the Mexican star tries, he'll have an answer for it.
He's off to sell the fight to others, enjoying himself in a situation where very few are too thrilled to be repeatedly.
"Every one of the guys that gets into this sport, when they do, they wish to be in this position," Volkanovski said. "Headlining, talking to you guys, facing the best fighters in the world. Maybe it's not for some guys, but I thoroughly enjoy this. I embrace all of my obligations and I enjoy it. And if I do it correctly, it's only going to benefit me in the long run."
