Stream UFC 298 on ESPN+ https://plus.espn.com/ufc/ppv Megan Olivi sits down with featherweight champion Alexander …
it’s always such a pleasure to talk to you before we get into what the future may hold really want to know how you would assess your 2023 how would iess of 2023 uh I was busy I what in 2023 fit three fights uh a couple of uh moving up fights obviously so uh you know they uh didn’t go exactly to plan but um still a busy year uh you know obviously defending the belt still so when I do F the February they’ll be four in the 12 months which is pretty cool that’s what I want to be active but yeah I still think it was great obviously again the last one didn’t go exactly how we would like but hey that’s a risk you’re willing to take especially when you’re chasing uh greatness and doing things that probably not many people would want to do but I want to do them you know and it doesn’t pay off every single time well you’re Alexander the Great for a reason exactly what you say that word risk how do you evaluate risk versus reward especially on things like that last fight that you took or the first fight with Islam where you decided to to move up and challenge yourself how do you weigh the pros and the cons in those scenarios um you’re trying to weigh it up for me I’m I guess I’m pretty game where I’m just always going to believe in myself even when I think that uh it is was always going to be a tall ask I knew that uh I know that you know you’re going to know better camps and things uh can definitely make things easier but I still look at it at this could happen like you know of you know ways of winning and how and it can be done if there’s a it can be done I’m going to do it it’s literally L and I’ll Chase even if the percentages going to be a bit lower I’ll chase that Ken be you know I mean I think I can move up in multiple divisions and believe I can beat some uh uh high level guys at these much higher divisions um is it going to be easy no but can I do it yeah 100% I believe in myself and and I’ll Chase it you know what I mean like that’s just just how I am I guess uh proud of that being who I am because it’s made me the guy I am and the champion I am and put me yeah obviously they don’t all work out a lot of them did though you know what I mean like so look at uh where I am now because of that being the the type of gu I am no absolutely how do you decide whether you’re going to move up again in the future or is this something that you’ve put on pause is it something you’re still thinking about and matchups you’re still after yeah of course I I want to move up I’m just uh I’m going to be real with it right like I can’t expect to just I want another rematch you know after what happened and I knew that going in uh that’s why when a lot of people were talking to me like leading up to that fight is oh yeah it’s a win-win or no lose situation I’m like hang on I Lose I’m like this is a rematch that we all wanted to see I really really want this uh rematch back and now I need to do it on 11 days notice if it doesn’t go my way I’m not getting a tile shot anytime soon or if ever it definitely not not looking good against Islam I’m sure that’s not going to make too much sense now that he’s 2 and0 against me uh so I always knew that that was a risk going into that fight but yeah I mean what can you do so like uh but right now I’m not really in a position where I can just be like oh I was only 11 days notice I want another rematch just I’m just going to be real I know that’s not how things are going to work uh and I want to be busy anyway so let’s uh do this featherweight thing and then maybe later we we’ll move up I definitely still want to chase uh that lightweight division it just needs to make sense and the timing needs to work cuz right now it just doesn’t make sense for me to try and go a third time I mean if it means I got to fight someone else in that division uh more than happy to there’s so many great fights in that division it’s a you know what I mean big some big names there exciting Fighters and obviously it would be fresh for me in a sense where you know I’ve done a bit of work in further weight so I still want to do that but I want to be busy and I I’ll be happy to fight guys in the lightweight division while I’m doing that I love the smile on your face when you kind of talk about some of those lightweight fights I can see the wheels turning there but you said a word that we have heard from you especially after the Islam fight that I thought was really interesting and we’ll we’ll get into later but in terms of activity and being able to stay active and busy how much also does that play into your decision making throughout the year when accepting bouts oh it does it it’s uh goes into the decision a lot like you know I I know I always talk about being in my Prime you know a lot of people like how long’s this Prime going to last I ask myself that question so uh and and it’s it’s an again I’m always honest with myself I’m always honest I’m still feeling great but how long do I feel great for uh so that comes into play and comes a part of my decisions a lot and that being with my last the rematch what if that rematch never happens what if he moves up and I don’t get that rematch this is promised to me now in that situation that decision um I’m going to have to go for it you know could I be in a much better position mentally and physically going into that fight yeah 100% but again all these uh questions uh these are all things that I’m aware of and going into a decision I I take into consideration how are you so honest with yourself because a lot of times athletes have to almost convince themselves to to be a certain way because of what you’re doing you’re fighting another person in there but it seems like you’re always very candid within your own selft talk about where you are and how things may or may not go how have you come like that um I don’t know how I think it’s just uh how I’ve always been I guess I’m just I’m a realist even when I have these conversations with uh you know my managers and that like about what’s next and even though I’m very confident going in on I’m always there’s always a chance of losing right so there’s always like all right like you know whether you’re negotiating or whatever it is I always make sure there’s a safe net you know what I mean like I always think of it all right we can do this um you know negotiations if we lose let’s make sure uh you know these prices are you know for me as a contender is Bank you know if you know what I’m saying when we’re talking about renegotiations and uh things like that so I’ve always just looked at things that way uh cuz you’re going to get a lot of people that refuse to be like oh no don’t say that it’s like oh it’s not like I’m preparing to lose but I’m going to have a safe net I’m going to we’re going to make sure we cover all areas don’t worry I’m going to go out there and do my thing like you know through all these decisions that’s just how it is so uh that’s uh something that I’ve always done with all my decisions um including the last one with with Islam obviously we knew it was a tall ask but obviously financially we we knew it would be okay it would work in our favor and not just that that Pro it was promised to me and yeah again that during that whole situation I knew that if if things don’t go my way the lightweight title isn’t somewhere in the near future or that or another rematch with with uh Islam so I guess I don’t know it’s just so I can’t really tell you where exactly it came from I’m just sort of more elaborating on on how I my thought process which we already chatted about but where it came from I don’t know it’s just been a part of uh my process the whole time it seems to serve you really well oh yeah definitely well that’s when I say it’s always been how I am that’s the same in the uh in the gym so that’s why you see me so well prepared so I got guys like Craig Jones or you name like some of the guys are I I’m not expecting Elia to be able to do what uh Craig Jones does but I’m going to be in there I’m going to prepare for the worst I’m going to put myself through the paces and I’m just going to cover I was going to say cover my I won’t go there but uh you know I I’ll cover everything you know that’s just how I how I am and how I’ve always been and yeah so preparations I do I do the same thing I prepare for the worst even if I think that it w go down that that road even if I think I think I’m just going to out strike him he can’t take me down whatever I’m still going to do the grappling I’m still going to put myself in dangerous positions I’m going to put myself in deep submissions uh you know all everything even though I know that I’m like quite confident they won’t put me there but I’m I’m going cover my I won’t say it again but I’m I’m going cover mybe C cover my ass you know cover my ass I’m going to make sure prepared and ready for it so that so that’s just how I’ve always been that’s how I preparing fights that’s how even negotiations uh the whole thought thought process um that’s just how it is I try to be calculated right like I think anyone that’s successful in anything is very calculated business I mean uh you know you want obviously we got goals want to be positive it’s going to be here but we need to make adjustments if things don’t go there or we need to be prepared if things don’t go that way that’s just how I process things and I think it is a good thing and it’s a thing that I think a lot of people should be able to do and I’m confident with it like I’m I’m happy to have them them conversations oh if I get here he like oh no you won’t get there if I get here don’t worry it won’t happen but if I get here this is what we’ll do you know that’s just how I am and how I’ve always been and you are the king of the featherweight Division and you mentioned your next opponent Ilia Toria but before we get into to Ilia and the matchup specifically what are your thoughts on your invincibility at 145 and just why you are the king and why you hold that Throne there it’s just my my preparation like I’m uh more excited to always learn got I got Drive I feel like I’ve got more Drive than these contenders trying to chase me for the belt I just it’s I’m very passionate about what I do I think that’s all a part of it the fact that I used to be a lot heavier the fact that I I’ve always uh been competing against people a lot bigger than me I got guys that are some of the best in the world in multiple divisions heavier than me and these are the guys that I’m getting used to and then a featherway comes along you know what I mean I don’t need to you know say say so I’m not I’m not knocking them it’s just yeah I’ll put myself through the paces against some of the best in the world uh guys that are much bigger than me and I’ll make them put me through the and and they do and I’m fine with that you know we we done shot a lot of film today and I was in a lot of bad positions you know what I mean and I’m happy to do that a lot of people uh won’t put themselves in that position they’re going to try and take rounds that they know they’re going to win that they feel a bit more comfortable I’m never looking for that I I I’m always looking for the harder rounds the people that are going to put me in worse positions um cuz uh the more and more I do that the more Invincible I feel especially at featherweight and you’re undefeated in the United States so it’s not just putting yourself in bad positions in practices but also in positions that maybe other people who lived in Australia wouldn’t necessarily want to put themselves in but what is it about how you’ve learned to navigate the travel the media obligations the time changes all that Encompass training and traveling to the United States for a fight you’ve conquered it well it is a part of the process I know that ug yeah yeah like I guess I’m experienced in in the sense that i’ I’ve done it a few times I’ve had to travel across the the world quite a few times against Hometown Favorites um I’ve been booed many times like uh you name it I’ve been through it all and I rise at the occasion every single time I don’t ever let it get to me I’ve got a job to do I treat this uh SP like sport people look at it as fighting I look at it as a sport um and I’m very calculated what I do and that is inside and outside of the octagon and like you said them challenges I don’t look at as like oh I need to do all this you know what I mean I’m like yeah maybe now if I can avoid I guess I can because but I’m glad that I always uh put myself in their positions and try to chase it like fighting Aldo um in Rio uh you know what I mean just so I could get the title shot things like that like I I’m very proud and glad that that’s who I was through the process cuz it made me uh be able to deal with uh you know quite a bit especially when it comes to UFC no you should be incredibly proud of all of that like I said you’re facing Ilia Toria he is your next challenge he looks to take that featherweight title off of you and he seems very confident in the leadup to this I mean he said things like Alex doesn’t stand a chance when you the eye roll kind of tells me everything I need to know but I mean how do you how do you view his confidence and where he is at right now with this opportunity that’s in front of him um look man it’s a good on him in a sense you got to be confident you got to back yourself the only thing is we’ll see how uh confident he is when he start uh you know well let’s see if uh you know I plan on doing what I do on uh in February uh you might see a bit of change in his tone after that he hasn’t he hasn’t had someone to do that to him yet but that’s why you know I believe he’ll be getting taught a lesson maybe a bit of humbling uh maybe he’s a good kid but he’s a definitely a confident uh cocky I would say uh some people may say it’s a little bit delusional I’ve said that myself uh but again sometimes you need to be delusional as long as you if you’re going to believe that look there’s believing that stuff uh but at least preparing you know as long as I said like I believe that I can beat anyone like on 11 days notice you’re flying across the I believe I can do it but I’m going to put the work in regardless I don’t care how easy I think it is I’m always going to prepare I’m going to prepare for the worst so I don’t mind me so people can say I’m delusional but I know that I’m going to do everything I can to back that maybe he is I don’t know again it could it’s definitely can be a positive to be that confident but um at the same time if he’s used to just being the hammer uh he’s going to crumble and you could see him crumble pretty easily in February and that’s what I plan on doing I plan on showing him that I am the king of this Division and I’ve been for a long time and that’s for a good reason and I plan on uh reminding everyone of that uh February 17th and uh good learning session for him I think what do you think he’s young he will learn from it and we’ll see what happens after that what do you think of his resume thus far look he’s F some or our competition but yeah the resume doesn’t uh back his confidence right so when you start put it way if he starts getting more top five or or Champions on that list all right now uh there’s some credibility behind your your Cockiness or whatever it is but he hasn’t proved that yet look he’s he can try and prove it on February I don’t think he’s uh going to be proving his point I think I prove mine uh and uh again he’ll be humbled and you won’t hear him talk like that after that anyway but uh he’s 15 and he’s a 15er mhm or something like that like he’s a it’s a impressive uh record he just hasn’t faced some of the guys I don’t really care about be people being undefeated I look at the people that they faced um when he starts uh if he’s able to start adding a big names to that list all right good on him but that ain’t happened in February well as you so passionately were kind of describing to me before is like you’re still going to put in the work no matter how easy you think any challenge is so when you do look at Ilia and you say okay this is who I’m facing next UFC 298 these are the challenges I must prepare for what are those challenges I’m expecting him to be as good as he thinks he is yeah and he thinks he’s a man so I’m I’m going to I’m going to prepare as if he is that good you I’m going to give him the benefit of doubt in all aspects of the game I don’t think he’s at that level but I’m preparing for that level that’s why when I say like I ain’t going to be surprised February cuz I’m preparing for someone that I believe is a lot better than Ilia and I’ve always done that so that’s why you don’t never see me panic you don’t never see me uh freak out or anything like that you always see me composed because I’m always prepared for the worst I’m prepared for the best version of himself you know I’m prepared for something that I have not seen I’m prepared for something that I know he hasn’t seen you know what I mean and so if he’s going in there and literally being delusional in the the sense that he thinks he can just do the same thing that he always does and get another uh add another win to that record he’s going to be in for a rude shock so like I said February I don’t care how that fight turns out I ain’t going to be surprised by anything put it that way the belt will still be going home with you coming home with me for sure and my family yes all those beautiful girls you now have to share it with your three daughters obviously vul we can’t wait to see you fight again but before I wrap up this conversation I had messaged you this privately we had talked about it I just would be remiss not to ask you about it we often look at our athletes and entertainers you know in this world as superheroes and after your last fight with Islam you talked about hey I I need to be active it’s it’s better for my mental health I can’t just sit not only did you share that message with the world but you also touched the hearts of a lot of other fighters who face similar demons what was it about where you were in that time that compelled you to share it with the world I mean it’s a it’s everything there’s a lot that goes into it uh you know the thing is uh look I had mixed emotions about people seeing me like that obviously not many times people are going to have a camera in front of you why yet you’re most vulnerable but I’m glad people see me like that because it did uh raise some questions for for Fighters so many people reached out you you’d be uh surprised I’m proud of that like I’m I’m I’m perfectly fine with it you if people I don’t care what people think about that cuz I believe it’s been nothing but a positive and um everyone I don’t care who these people are people that will never ever talk about it everyone gets uneasy there there’s always going to be you know what I mean some of us make silly decisions while we’re we’re in that that position uh obviously for me you know it did it wasn’t that bad but I mean it was uh you know it wasn’t exactly the guy that I I I’ve always been you know wasn’t that the disciplined guy that I always was there was a bit going on you know surgery new bubs I’m trying to be the best father I can and at the at the same time I got a career that as we touched on earlier I’m in my Prime how long’s that lasting so then that’s when uh you know I never used to have these pressures of I need to work because look I know and again I’m enough I’m in a in a financial position where you know I’m lucky to be in the position I am uh I’m even lucky enough to understand what makes me tick I understand that uh you know after my my career I’m going to have to change my energy to something else but uh and I understand that a lot of people don’t really know what makes them ticket and don’t don’t really get that as much as I do so I deal with you know things really well you know but I did get pretty vulnerable there people seen it and I’m fine with that there’s a the time now where you’re like all right now other things are coming into play are the the the injuries the timing in my Prime you know I want these rematches I want you know so much happening um you know maybe drinking a little more than you want and again you’re just not that disciplined guy that you usually am uh so it was just that’s what it was I think straight after the fight you seen someone that was you know a little vulnerable wasn’t the disciplined guy that he usually is and what I proud myself on being and uh you know I say that you know especially then I thought I made a a bad decision uh while I was under them circumstances and then that’s why you see me uh sort of like that but it wasn’t just that like I’m I’m glad of the decision I made to take that fight I’m just probably a little more disappointed of the timing of like where I was just in that short amount of time uh cuz you know I wasn’t in the gym as much as I’d like you know I was I was heavy and I was heavy for a reason um and yeah so I wasn’t yeah wasn’t ticking the boxes like I you usually am and uh you know and that that made me a little uneasy easy and then the timing of the fight I thought was oh this is meant to be this was you know snap things into gear for me you know what I mean and uh whatnot and and it didn’t work out that way and then you seen me come to realizations of all that obviously being concuss and you know I just got knocked out so it’s uh you know it was pretty crazy but again I I glad people see me like that cuz it it touched a lot of people there’s so many people that reached out from not only athletes from all parts of life uh successful you know uh name it but you I’m not going to mention names but it was a pretty pretty incredible so I think it was nothing but a positive feedback and um yeah I’m proud of that and if anyone thinks that’s weakness Watch What Happens February you know what I mean the the best part about this people got to see that and people get to see the bounce back people get to see like yeah how was vulnerable got knocked out you know there’s going to be questions is Alex going down here whatever it is what’s my bounce back you know what I mean now you could be you know when people are you know feeling a little uneasy and what not just be like you know you pull through stay strong uh you never know what’s around the corner and I’m going to show that there that on February we can’t wait to see it well once again I just commend you for speaking about it especially men’s mental health is not addressed nearly as much as it should be in in an individual Sport with a fan base that is as passionate as ours it can be incredibly difficult so to make your colleagues also feel like they are not alone and to let the world know whoever may be watching if they’re struggling as well that it’s okay if Alexander the Great feels that way then it’s okay for them too as well I just want to commend you on all of that I can’t wait to see the bounce back I can’t wait to see The Smiling Faces of your three girls after you win once again Alex best of luck to you thank you so much for your time thank you appreciate it appreciate it thank