UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski took questions from the press following his main event loss against UFC …
Alex um you dared to be great tonight it didn’t you know go your way but it was a very very close fight do you feel that you won or how did you feel about the scorecards ah look Maine it’s a it was a close fight to what can you do I’m the type of person that uh yeah I could have done more so it might be harder on myself you know a lot of people are probably you know a lot of people counting me out so they’re like oh wow like you know I mean but I was never counting myself out I was expected to win so I’m disappointed and I could have done more I could have capitalized on things earlier as well um I did think he was going to be stronger and I’ve you know I’ll probably put it down more earlier but anyway what do you do credit to him well-rounded yeah I uh underestimated strike and the underestimated my my wrestling uh and stuff like that so what do you do mixed martial arts yeah we uh we at least we threw it all out there I mean then that fifth round like it was right there for you is that just one of those things if you felt like you had another round or some more time ah yeah of course you know I felt like maybe I could have done that earlier like I said there was positions where I was like he’s not strong I even said in my corner you’ll probably uh hear it I’m like oh he’s not strong I’m not being a dick I wasn’t being disrespectful I was just like oh he’s not strong but maybe he’s baiting me maybe he’s waiting for me to do something so I didn’t capitalize it uh straight away which I should have and I started realizing that later on I was like excuse my language um could have done more and then like I I’m gonna try and get him down you know what I mean and then we end up getting their scrambles as I let’s let’s uh go all out I reckon I can do something on top here as well so I did that but you know maybe I could have done that earlier maybe not I don’t know but anyway I’ll watch the fight um do some research but yeah it’s pretty clear that out you know I could have won that fight that’s why I’m part of myself did he have you hurt at all at any point like somebody I heard I don’t know like you know uh yeah I think I dropped to a knee or something like I said I was there the whole time so uh me saying that you know was in a knock down wouldn’t be fair but I mean I was there the whole time like I think I come back with a punch straight away like um so yeah again I’m not uh gonna make excuses when it comes to things like that yeah I was I’ll sweet so uh anyway the last thing for me I’m sure they’ll get into you know the fight with the air and not business but you did mention in the cage I’ll be back at lightweight is it your hope that Islam continues to defend and whenever you come back he’s still the guy there oh what’s the thought anyway what’s the fight and see what it was like um I’m hearing that he uh he was saying uh I heard we smoke could be wrong that he was going back to his Corner saying he wants a rematch because he thought he lost so um that’s funny uh I’m gonna jump on that rematch where’d you hear that he wanted a rematch hey who told you that I don’t know it was it was wrong with that I know I did whatever he said that like you know whatever he thought that he might have lost it if it did I don’t know I just I just heard that from someone but I’ll watch a fight we’ll see and you said you you under underestimated his striking maybe what exactly no not really like uh obviously I knew he’s got a good eye um yeah he’s got a good eye so he sees things okay so he can counter it’s like his feet doesn’t uh function as good as his eye so it’s like his eyes uh want to do something like in these punches would do something because he can see but then his legs can’t keep up um but yeah that was enough to land some here and there so it went too hard um that’s why because he probably wasn’t uh bass enough I shouldn’t be telling him about these things but um but yeah but it is still still landed so a good one there’s a good uh there was able to Reign Australia I’m like ah no I see you’ve seen that again he’s his eyes not too bad he’s got a good eye his distance isn’t too bad um again I could have capitalized more man uh even in the yeah I guess I was just expecting him to be a little bit more Relentless uh in the shots um so maybe I’ll back just a little bit towards the till the the last round I guess and we saw you talking to him throughout the entire fight like even when he had your back you were talking to him while you were punching wolves was what were you saying was he talking about look again uh when you’re in positions like that I’m not being a dick I’m not being disrespectful but you know it’s getting his head you know what I mean like even when he had me I’m like going well you’re not that strong like I’ll say stuff like and then he’s there I’m going what you’re just hanging on I’ll go you said uh 15 seconds I’m gonna you know you’re gonna drag me deep waters you know that type stuff I remember that stuff as I go he was hanging on for dear life um so it’s just stuff like again I’m not being disrespectful he’s still in a good position so it’s up to me to get out of there but I’m going to get in his head and just uh just for Kevin just kept punching him in the head saying like you know like off yeah again uh I guess a body lock is a dominant position so their refs can’t just leave him though he was just hanging on trying to hide his head um but yeah so just let him know they’re gone yeah look at your luck you know just trying to survive in certain positions so that was all all I was saying I have to ask what you thought of yayo Rodriguez’s performance you obviously said you want to drive back down and unify he pulled off the submission went over to judge haven’t it yeah we’ll see yeah we’ll see but of course yeah sales uh they could win could win by yeah he looked uh sharp on his feet uh caught him a couple of times rocked him a couple of times and and uh caught him in the Triangle so I was training at that stage but um yeah like I said uh you know I’m not a selfish guy I’m all about booting things up now we’ve got to now we’ve got a guy right there’s a guy uh in 45 that you know what I mean there’s a guy that deserves that shot and it’s clear and that’s what I wanted but we’ll see what’s happening so congratulations to you goodbye yeah yeah I always say yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah I thought everyone else was saying it wrong uh going back to the fourth round where he had your back for ages okay it is a dominant it was fourth round that one yeah it is a dominant position but like you said it wasn’t trying to advance wasn’t really going for submissions was just kind of trying to avoid your shots is there a length of time where after which the referee should possibly consider separating it I interrupt so I don’t know um if he’s trying I don’t even think he was trying to go for submissions at that stage because he knew I could just get my head to there so like I said um yeah I don’t know again it’s a it’s a it’s a strong position it should always be up to the purse again I’m the type of that’s just me right like as a I I you know I could sit there and be like oh yeah yeah whatever but for me I was like you know instead of me which this is how everyone should be instead of me trying to blame the ref I blame myself because I should have got myself out of there you know what I mean so I don’t know the rest rules however that is but again I’m more harsh on myself uh not not the ref for things like that obviously a moments that the clinch gets occasion look like you’re going for the takedown yourself I’m curious was that just because you felt well I can do something here was there I was just trying to go for um he was gone for possess to put himself out of position again I could have got some of those man like a I told you I’m strong like I’m telling you I could have definitely got more more takedowns if I really wanted but um I guess I was second guessing myself in in sort of positions but uh yeah I don’t know it just you know they were there so it’s just to let him know he’s out of positions like going don’t think you’re just gonna hold me in these positions they’re like oh it doesn’t work like that with me so as soon as I’ll do that and then grab the body like it would like you know obviously free again be like oh I’m out of position go sit back and just me letting him know and um again I could capitalize more but wow I’m sure he’s got a bit more respect for Australian wrestling now I figured does yeah but I mean again more last one for me I know you’re going to be super hard on yourself and say you could have done more and stuff like that the the concept of powerful pound is a weird thing right it’s like oh if you’re the same size with your current skill set who wins that fight well that’s the thing he put the title on the right line right which is um yeah fun for his title but I mean power for pound like you know like let’s remember pound for pound it goes to size or not why do you think I was a massive Underdog and stuff like that but at the same time I expected to win so I’m going to sit there and be like oh he was bigger and all that I was like yeah you went up to lightweight of course you know I mean that’s expected but pound for pound is a funny thing um you know me going out there winning would have showed just why you know I’m that pound for pound you know what I mean but it’s you can see that I could definitely uh win that fight I definitely want that fight back is it going to be hard for you to go motivate yourself to fight a featherweight when you know his Love’s there he’s got the time and you know how close you could have been and what you could have done it’s gonna be hard no but look you know oh yeah I want that lightweight built sir Alex just over here just over here no on The Voice sorry mate or on the strength uh and you’re saying like you know he wasn’t maybe as strong as you expected I am curious where does he rank in terms of like strongest opponents you face because obviously you face so many in so many different um divisions I don’t know um it’s probably still up there but I mean I just yeah it’s just funny the again the narrative like you know if I wanted to push this crazy narrative I was like oh my run with it it let him let you think he’s Invincible but it just would have been a so much better story if I won right so certainly I wish I could just sit there going hey this invincible man you know you just want to push over I told you you know but right now I’m not in that position but um we’ll close and uh again very winnable fight I’ve got to watch the fight back you know I don’t know again I’m my hardest critic I always am I blow the water out like I win massive fights and I still remember that one time I got hit I still remember that you know one time I didn’t get something or you know I mean that’s just how I am you know I’m a I’m very very yeah very very harsh on myself and how to myself so um I’ll be good to watch that fight back and just see everybody’s like what’s everyone slaughtered on that like it was a was it a close fight like well I don’t know it was it was uh yeah very close fight okay so I’ve got to go watch that back three two either way yeah I’ve got to watch that fight back rematch let’s go where are they I guess on that um I know one of the narratives especially like Islam said look I want to prove that this guy doesn’t belong in the lightweight division right obviously it’s just pre-fight talk but I wonder after having such a close fight do you think you’ve established that you do belong the lightweight division like obviously got me in uh positions and stuff like that but again some of those is more technique and things like that you know what I mean like it was more that wasn’t power like you know what I mean like again I’ve got to watch the fight but um yeah I didn’t feel like this freakishly powered like type of thing you know what I mean obviously he’s got that size advantage and and things like that that’s gonna that’s gonna help him a little bit and you know you might feel that little bit of um that weight and like a fatigue I didn’t get fatigue obviously I come back stronger in the end anyway but there is that that weight Advantage but I mean to say that I can’t handle lightweight it’s just ridiculous he’s meant to just blow everyone out the water he was meant to just uh as soon as he grabbed me down I was game over I told you that wasn’t going to happen I told you as I was going to do more and you know where you know I told you I’ll get back up I told you that you know he won’t submit me and all that type of stuff I was right but I did say that I was gonna come come out with my hand raised and well very close I was very a very close fight people maybe thought I won but the judges did it so uh I’m very hard on myself right now thanks Alex thank you and Alex uh is it to your right is it is it motivating or does it sting a little bit more to to lose that fight on points but finish on top ah nah just losing me like a losing in general uh I’m a winner I try and uh win everything I can you know what I mean and you know I kill myself in the gym to prepare myself uh to get my hand raised and uh yeah I expected to be on top or be putting more hands on him and dominating heartily you know the whole way through so uh yeah I’m not happy with just uh ending up on top thank you happy with my hand race and can you just put into words uh the support you’ve had from Australia this fight like especially tonight that was incredible um obviously everyone was still uh you know happy with the fight and you know so uh you know obviously give me the Mad cheers and that was uh you know it was good I was uh obviously trying to roll them up as well have a bit of fun with it and just remember I was here so involve them as well like let no I’m I’m hearing them and thank them and um yeah try and put on a bit of a show for him but it would have just been better getting my hand raised in front of him too you know what I mean so again they support’s been crazy you know look at the weigh-ins and the press conferences and all that type of stuff though you know I mean like that doesn’t happen much you know we have to take us all the fighters backstage so we can open the curtains further back so we can fit more people in and you know what I mean it’s uh so obviously it it went beyond what what people expecting so shout out to the Aussie fans uh for delivering g’day Alex over here Mike great performers over to see you mate hey uh look obviously uh 145 here you go mate 145 defense is next clearly and then uh maybe the rematch with Islam but if that doesn’t line up for the title shot are you willing to maybe jump into 155 and fight guys like you know Dustin Fourier Charles Michael Chandler these types quick turnaround for the rematch um yeah we’ll see man again I need to watch the fight I need to talk some people and again right now I just come out I’m hard on myself I don’t know uh you know I got I’ve got to look and see what’s happening so um yeah we’ll see but obviously we’ve got you know when I go to featherweight we know who it is you know what I mean and again shout out for year Rodriguez I think that’s an exciting fight uh so uh good on him and also I think the great thing about this sport compared to say boxing is a loss doesn’t always detract from your star power so you come up short today a little bit but I reckon your stock has risen even higher than it’s ever been so do you feel that and just you’ve really proven that you really are even better than we thought you were oh man it’s uh again does everyone else’s expectations right my expected to win uh obviously people are proud of how that went but I expected to go out there and win um and dominate and you know what I mean and again it was good obviously he’s still proud of myself uh still proved a lot of people wrong right but I mean I didn’t get my hand raised so again I’m going to be hard on myself I watched the fight back and you know maybe that’ll make me feel a little bit better but yeah it sucks Alex just over here man I’m just wondering did you get a chance to say anything to Islam or his team afterward words in the back when you were in the back or anything oh man like you know we’re both respective respectful dudes I’m respect for dude I went over they said congratulated him um obviously they again I think they really thought that I was going to be walking apart so they were like yeah shocked faces but I mean again lucky numbers I expected them to be shocked I expected it to see his face like I did out there and um man raised man it’s last thing Alex turned kind of on a high uh the Walker was one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen you know covering Combat Sports were you able to embrace that moment for what it was or were you so dialed in that no no that’s I’ve come to if you remember me the first time I was like fighting in Australia and all that type of stuff I was always just uh I’m the type of girl I was just a competitor right now I I love it all mate like you know I mean the build-ups that the entertainment sort of thing I get it you know I get it now like you know I want the crowd to feel me I want to feel the crowd um I fight best when I’m uh with with that energy when I’m a little emotional and stuff like that you know you’ve seen that in some of my last fights to really fire myself up um I do my best work there so uh it was good I definitely I felt them um yeah they’re just uh if I could have been a moment man you know what I mean go there imagine getting a big finish prove them data’s wrong in Australia what a moment uh you know 27 00:15:51,659 –> 00:15:54,259 it’s still a good moment anyway uh again the support’s been incredible shout out to everyone that’s here uh they’re bad that you know supported the the event the pay-per-view and shout out to everyone that was watching um and sorry to people that counted on me cheers