Alexander Volkanovski joins ESPN’s Marc Raimondi to discuss his decision to headline a pay-per-view rematch against Islam …
Mark R Mundy for ESPN joined today by one of the best fighters in the world how about this Alexander vulcanos UFC featherweight champion and he’s trying to become the UFC lightweight champion in just a few days from now short notice fight Islan makev UFC 24 Abu Dhabi you’re still in Australia I imagine you’re probably G to be traveling pretty soon to Abu Dhabi yeah yeah I think we’re gonna go our Sunday uh we probably would have went a little bit earlier obviously preparation yeah we had a longer preparation but I wanted to make sure my crucial s sessions I can get in while I’m over here and then uh then we’ll head over there cuz I didn’t want to lose a days um traveling and then you know because you lose a day traveling and then obviously you don’t want to train too hard coming straight off a plane as well so you lose a couple of days there so I thought I’ll leave that maybe a couple of days later and I’d usually go and um and yeah because I usually adjust pretty much straight away anyway so I know I’ll make them adjustments pretty quick and I just want to make sure I got my crucial training in uh obviously with that sh notice uh that I had so how did this fight come together because you know as of just a few days ago you know Monday Tuesday it was it was Islam versus Charles ala title fight right ala gets a cut I guess the UFC makes one phone call and and just tell me how how that went down I don’t even know um I don’t even uh I didn’t know it was a cut I didn’t know what was going on I don’t even think they knew if he was uh pulled out uh yet I think they said something was going on so I think they’ll still go through the process to see if he was still going to be okay or not when they talked to me and we’ll put it this way I probably already said yes uh before they knew he was definitely out like that’s how quick that that whole thing pretty much went like obviously they’re they’re going to do their negotiations um but talk to me obviously I was like who all right I guess I guess we’re doing it I’m like told my manager you do your part I’m calling the guys and we’re getting ready for a fight like you know what I mean so that’s sort of how it was it’s pretty crazy because I had no idea that or I definitely wasn’t expecting to be stepping in um I thought I was locked in on January you know what I mean uh that’s why I Tred to get in on in on earlier cards I was pretty much begging can I please fight sooner uh but they said look we just can’t do it um and I’m like far out so I was doing my heading you know I was like man like you know what I mean you know I should be I should be in Camp you know what I mean like I’m in my I should be in Camp uh but now I need to wait so like obviously trying to you know be a dad had newborn and whatnot and then this come and I’m like it’s meant to be you know what I mean you know what I mean the the fighting Gods didn’t want me to wait any longer so we’re going out there we’re doing our thing next week you had a a hand injury coming out of the Y Rodriguez fight in Ju What’s That Elbow elbow elbow elbow injury I had elbow surgery that’s right and um yeah so it was a just one of the surgeries where they just you know got a few uh holes in there get a few like um whatever you want to call it like they just had to get a heap of things out there shapes and bones and whatnot um and yeah so like uh I was always going to try like because I thought if they locked me in for this fight I was like going to try and make it and then it got to a point where I was like yeah maybe maybe it wasn’t ideal like you know because the recovery of rehab went a bit longer than we expected um but I’ve still been able to train right I think I know I was training or I was wrestl I remember UFC Sydney I did some wrestling with Frank Hickman when he was there so that was my first week of wrestling so I’ve been training uh here and there since then so it’s not like I haven’t been doing anything I’ve been doing rehab um I’ve been sparring for at least four weeks now I think about four weeks so uh yeah so it’s uh again obviously not like how I usually would um you know again I got a newborn and uh been on holidays and whatnot but I have been in the gym you know I’m not it’s not like I’m going in with absolutely no training you know that would be impossible for me to do um I would completely do my head in if I didn’t train so I always need to be doing at least something a little bit a little bit in the gym and I’m lucky enough that I am that guy that that’s always trying to show up you know at least as much as he can even when he’s busy uh because you never know when things that this might pop up it’s 11 days notice 10 days notice what whatever you want to call it and it’s against Islam MV it’s not just against anybody you know he you know I think a lot of people have you and him number one and number two number two and number one pound-for-pound in the world why’d you take this fight you know why this is this is a pretty big risk going against an extremely extremely tough guy yeah man like uh as I’ve been saying man like high risk High reward like you know what I mean like that’s just how it is uh it it is a crazy thing to do obviously a lot of people looking at it you know I go out there you’re going out underdone H you lose you never get that lightweight shot against Islam again like you know I mean that whole rivalry is over you know and it and look I get it I get what people are trying to say but what if I go out there and and win like I plan on doing I go that’s when you shock the world that’s when you’re doing things you know me stepping up doing this I’m already doing things that people in my position would never do and I don’t and I’m not knocking them for that I love this and I needed this you know what I mean this excites me and I think I’m when I’m excited like this I think I’m a I’m a dangerous man when I’m this excited and this fresh mentally and physically I’m going to go in with no nigges uh no mental fatigue or physical fatigue I’m going in fresh uh and ready to shock the world so um yeah come white I’ve seen a few memes over the last 48 hours I think maybe you’ve shared a couple of them and they have to do with uh your bravery let’s say uh there’s another way of saying that you’re a brave guy have you seen these memes um I’ve seen some things what you go look at his one here shout out cnbt stay Brave hey how about that very brave see how about that yeah um no I’ve seen something are you going to talk about the wo bar with the yeah look this ESPN Alex it’s Disney you know I didn’t want to go that into that detail but that I is even though that’s just a different language yeah so yeah but um sorry about that no it’s all good you’ve seen that and what do you think of those of these memes I mean you you like literally led me straight into that didn’t you that’s where you’re taking me I needed you to say it not me come on man okay all right so uh so it’s not all right as long as we we don’t get in trouble but yeah man look again people talk it but who actually goes out there you know who walks who walks a walk I know the quotes that everyone always says you know the memes that you’re always going to see but yeah be about it I’m I’m at the UFC Apex as you can see behind me right now and I just spoke with Hunter Campbell uh you know UFC Chief business officer and he told me that he had a he had dinner with you and your manager Ash back at UFC Sydney uh just a few weeks ago in September and the conversation that you guys had really stuck with him and it’s one of the things that made him want to reach out to you to offer you this fight do you remember that that conversation with him yeah yeah yeah this was in UFC Sydney yep yep what what what did you say like he it it made a it made an impression on him he told me that you said something along the lines of something comes up with this fight I’m in I mean like I always uh I always put the The Feelers out like that um you know I’m going to say it like I didn’t think it was going to actually happen I’ll be honest but I mean uh I I I told him because look that’s where we had the the talk and he told me look we just can’t do anything any earlier than January which I was disappointed I think he could see my my disappointment and I’m like well like if anything happens make sure you hit me up like you know what I mean like you know don’t don’t leave me hanging you never know um and then he did he goes oh look you know I think I’ll be doing Alex a disservice if I don’t ask him um so that’s why he made sure he asked me and I said yes so um yeah again it’s a he knows what I he knows what what I’m about again like you got to remember he gets to talk to Fighters behind the cameras and things like that you know what I mean everyone’s going to play hard ball everyone’s going to say stuff say the right things in front of a camera uh but then say something completely different um when it comes to um actually getting in there and doing their thing um you know what I mean so yeah I I guess he knows I’m pretty easy to work with you know obviously we’re going to make sure we’re doing our part to to capitalize on this position but at the same time um this is a this is a massive opportunity you know like that’s something that they said to me obviously negotiations they’re going to be like oh you know like you know this is uh perfect exactly what you want is like no there’s a lot on the line for me too but he I guess he knows me too well he knows that that I’m the I’m the type of guy that highrisk high reward you know what I mean so um I guess it’s it’s easier to to play my into my ego but I mean I was always uh as soon as I heard I literally told my manager he literally when he when he ranged me he’s like I don’t know if I already told you this but he’s like H look I don’t know yeah I know this isn’t gonna happen but I just got to tell you anyway I just got to do my part uh things happen blah blah blah what do you reckon I’m like and then he’s uh then I pretty much said I reckon we we pretty much do it and then he’s like okay well all right let’s see what we can do so it was a it was funny it was a funny conversation man it’s just it’s crazy this was just a couple of days ago I’m still like what like you know so excited and like just like a kid in a candy store like with this whole situation I don’t know how I’m thriving so much in this a lot of people probably would be doing the heading but I’m absolutely loving it so so what What U like you got the call on I think Monday or Tuesday I’m not sure what that what that was in Australia maybe even Wednesday Tuesday Tuesday what what is the what does the next 10 days look like for you I mean how how do you how are you getting ready I think you were training with Craig Jones today yep uh well that’s it obviously I found that out and literally that afternoon um yeah just uh hit the boys up here at the gym uh freest sty F gym and uh yeah just the the boys just you know we ried the troops and they got me into camp like literally the a couple hours after I was on the phone I was doing a fight simulator I didn’t I didn’t waste any time and I’m lucky enough to have that type of Team around me that uh literally jump ship like you said Craig Jones um was on the next flight available he was midnight when I told cold told him what happened um and he booked the flight before he went to bed woke up and went to the the airport literally and he just got home from being away um he already just did like 30 something hours traveling um cuz he’s been away in like barley doing all that um got home to to his wife and then I literally get that phone call and then he and he jumped and same with Frank Frank was literally the flight we could have got a flight that that night uh so he was there waiting and then just uh had a bit of problem with like the esta or Visa or something like that so they had they postpone the the travel but he’s he’s here today um as coming from the US Craig come from Austin y right from Texas and and Frank was he just arrived in uh Austin that night and then left Austin the next day that’s crazy and Frank was in Thailand I assume Frank was in Thailand yeah got it got it I mean every everyone everyone everyone just literally you know from my nutritionist to people that do my meals like you AES nutrition that I literally the next morning I had my my my diet my diet like in my nutritionist had Meals Ready from the athletes nutrition at my doorstep on the Wednesday so uh literally uh everyone just went okay let’s go and everyone’s traveling to IW we’ got our team going over there with all this little notice it just shows you the the team support I have behind me you fought Islam back in Fe we’re all excited I could tell I could tell you fought you fought Islam in in February and it was an incredibly close fight and it was about as Elite as far as like technique I think that you’ll ever see in the UFC having been in there with him what did you learn and how can you apply that to this fight um I learn a lot you know I mean obviously we can’t give too much away but um I learned a lot I learned we all learned even though I back myself myself getting back up and whatnot but I learned that and I’m so much better in these positions now than I was back then you know what I mean so I learned uh a lot from that and that gives me a lot of confidence now yeah I didn’t get that long camp but put this way um I’m fit enough and no one’s going to hold me down so he’s going to have to uh stand and bang with me um and yeah again I’m coming for that finish I can’t wait to go out there and shock the world this is my time as I just said earlier right now the world is literally spinning for me you know what I mean like this this is my world right now and everybody’s just a part of it that’s that’s how I feel right now I saw something you said on your YouTube about how it’s almost like a win-win for you and maybe even a lose lose for him in in some cases uh yeah like man I wouldn’t say winwin like I know I I know you want to put the pressure on him and be like you know let him be like on oh you know at the same time obviously here I’m we’re talking about Legacy you know my legacy is still going to take a big hit if I was to lose you know what I mean it’s not like I it’s all right if I lose that’s not how I’m going into this it’s not I never get that that rematch ever again I never get that lightweight title probably ever again you know what I mean this is a lot for me when we’re talking uh like I’m putting Legacy on the line here but I’m backing myself I mean I’m putting it on the line but at the same time yeah my my legacy if we’ve loss does take a big hit but can you imagine what it does to my legacy when I get my hand raised and that’s exactly what’s going to happen and I believe in myself and I can’t wait to go out there and shock the world and and uh just keep doing things that the people aren’t doing so you know what I mean again I thrive in these situations and I’m glad that this opportunity came about because again I’m the right man for the job last thing there’s no way you can turn around in January and fight ilot toor as planned right yeah I don’t a lot of people are saying that I don’t see how they think that I wouldn’t do that well how long is it it’s like over three months away isn’t it what is it October November yeah November December January yeah three months that’s what I want to fight every three months I didn’t I didn’t have to like I didn’t even have to do a camp so I’m not you know what I mean like I said I’m fresh mentally and physically going into this Camp uh going into this fight uh so straight after it you know what I mean enjoy this crazy Victory this uh enjoy me shock in the world maybe for a week or two then we get back to business Alex thank you so much man good luck with your travels out Abu Dhabi again UFC 294 makach volkanovski 2 short notice should be fantastic I really appreciate it [Applause] [Music] man