Coach: Alexander Volkanovski’s Layoff Has Been ‘A Bit Too Long’

Joe Lopez can’t wait to see Alexander
Volkanovski
back in action.

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Volkanovski suffered a brutal knockout loss in a short-notice
failed double-champ bid against lightweight champ Islam
Makhachev
at UFC 294 in October 2023. “The Great” put his
featherweight title on the line soon after against Ilia
Topuria
at UFC 298 this past February, where he suffered
another brutal knockout. Many believe Volkanovski knockout loss to
Topuria had to do with the quick turnaround from his loss against
Makhachev.

Volkanovski has since taken some time off and will seemingly not
fight at least before early next year. While Lopez also felt
Volkanovski needed some time off, he thinks it’s been too long
now.

“I would have said six to eight months was plenty, you know,” the
Freestyle MMA Coach told Submission Radio. “Now we’re coming up to
nearly 12 months. And it’s a bit too long.”

Meanwhile, Topuria defended his strap by knocking out Max
Holloway
for the first time in history at UFC 308
last month. “El Matador” has since called for a rematch against
Volkanovski, preferably at the UFC’s debut in Spain, which is being
targeted for next year but doesn’t have an official date. However,
Lopez believes waiting for a title shot in Spain will be too long
for Volkanovski.

“And that’s if Spain goes ahead,” Lopez said. “They have trouble
booking the stadiums over there because they’re all booked, out I
guess. Now we just really want to get back in there. Because it’s
been too long a break. Alex is itching.”

Volkanovski has meanwhile called for an interim title fight against
surging contender Diego Lopes
at UFC 312
in Sydney, Australia. Speaking of a potential clash against Lopes,
Lopez believes it’s the Brazilian’s growing confidence on the back
of his winning streak that will mentally set him apart from other
opponents.

“You start taking a few wins and all of a sudden your confidence
grows and with that you grow as a fighter… There’s little things
that can separate them and a lot of times it’s that little mental
edge. You’re on such a high and you’re so confident that your body
and your mind and everything just thinks and reacts differently
than the other fighters.”

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