Alexander
Volkanovski did exactly what he was expected to do at UFC 273,
but that doesn’t make his performance any less impressive.
The reigning featherweight champion overwhelmed Chan Sung
Jung in all aspects of their fight en route to a fourth-round
technical knockout stoppage at Vystar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in
Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday night. Volkanovski was a
significant favorite heading into the fight with “The Korean
Zombie,” who was a replacement opponent for the injured Max
Holloway. Volkanovski has now won 21 straight fights and 11 in
a row in UFC competition — the second-longest active winning streak
in the Las Vegas-based promotion.
“I said that’s what I was going to do,” Volkanovski said at the UFC
273 post-fight press conference. “I’d been showing everyone –
telling everyone all week I’m going to show I’m on another
level. I’m raising the bar each time, and you saw that. All these
guys can’t touch me. I don’t think anyone’s ever done that to
‘Zombie’ – not like that. It just shows that I am on another
level, and the next time I get in there, I’m going to be better
again.”
Volkanovski was originally supposed to face Holloway in a trilogy
bout after their second meeting at UFC 251 resulted in a
controversial split-decision triumph for the City Kickboxing
member. That’s still a fight that Volkanovski wants, if only to get
some closure on their rivalry.
“That’s a fight I wanted purely for the haters and all that type of
stuff,” Volkanovski said. “… Obviously, I want the biggest fights.
He showed that that’s probably going to be the biggest fight. So
we’ll talk to the team. We’ll see if he wants it, we’ll see if we
want it, if the team wants it, if the UFC wants it, and
then we’ll make that decision. I’m going to make the right
decision for the right reasons.”
If f the Holloway trilogy doesn’t come to fruition, Volkanovski
hinted at a move up to 155 pounds in the future. With that in mind,
he figures to be an interested observer in the lightweight title
fight between Charles
Oliveira and Justin
Gaethje at UFC 274 next month. But if a clear featherweight
contender steps up, Volkanovski is more than willing to put his
belt on the line again.
“I’m in a position where I can do a couple of things, and if this
division doesn’t want to sort itself out and they’re all going to
sit back and f—ing wait for s—t, then fine – I’ll move up and
fight lightweight,” Volkanovski said. “I’m an easy champ to
understand: Take that No. 1 spot, you get that shot. If not, let’s
move up. I think we’re in a good position to move up, maybe see
what happens in this lightweight division title fight, and maybe
move up. Because again, I’m showing I’m levels ahead in this
division. Maybe we move up.”