Hunter Campbell, Chief Business Officer, UFC, and Jeff Novitzky, SVP Athlete Health and Wellness, addressed the press at UFC …
[Music] and now two Champions at 145 lb we’ll trim that down to one GA Rodriguez wearing the green and gold banovski is in the black and gold Main Events [Applause] underway you see vul trying to switch stances he doesn’t want to give Yer that split stance to open up that body kick vul said he’s not going to give Rodriguez time to work y you’re not surprised he acknowledged that vul’s going to have to pressure him he’s got to get past that reach and that reach when it comes to kicks is very significant yeah changing the look [Applause] vul playing with the footwork Rodriguez goes High blazes the arm of volkanovski that was a fast question mark kick right there he comes out of nowhere banovski certainly got a lot of long talented Strikers to work with in Australia New Zealand PL Diamond was a big asset during this [Applause] Camp yep nice take down by volkanovski now said that he needed to be very careful with throwing blind kicks because both would take him down Rodriguez does not need to settle here though he needs to try to work his way back to his feet get his feet inside butterfly guard feet at the hips something to try to elevate the hips to Alexander V and interesting that vul is pressing him towards the cage he’s moving him towards the Octagon cage he put him right in front of his [Music] corner and we have seen at times struggle with guys that continuously take him down certainly back in the day Frankie Edgar fight is a great example of that want sare you hear the corner saying they want him Square Against the Cage they want to limit his movement and just beat him up well somebody just sounds like a woman’s boy just say get your feet on his headp to push him up that’s some real good advice right there came in clear oh it’s juli p that lady’s got a voice two minutes here to go in round one an early Tak down for volkanovski reactively he’s got y’s head turned sideways which limits his movement the way he’s got him Pressed Against the Cage very [Applause] smart and you could tell that that’s in the plan because the corner Bowski was telling him smash him when get outed outside he’s got the Cradle y’s got him onto a single volovski is so physically strong look at his back and that was one of the most impressive things impressive things about the Islam fight because Islam is so strong at 155 lbs the fact that volovski was able to Grapple with him successfully which is insane could hold him down and now vul starting to open up with ground strikes here already three takedowns secured on four attempts through four minutes Rodriguez trying to pick his spots with strikes off triangle looking for an arm triang and this is we rarely see this in both oh if he can clear his hips this could be real dangerous oh yeah you’re defended last submission win for Vol December 2015 that’s pre-ufc yay cling I talked to Alexander volosi and I said I remember when you were fighting back early in your UFC career you fought another kid Alex had won a ton of fights the kid he fought had a t fight what was the other what was the kid’s name you mean his first loss who you talking about no I’m talking about in the UFC there was another kid that was froming to the east coast kind of look like Alexander banovski they F it’s just so easy for him not to have had the success going forward but when I looked at him and I said that he goes yeah everything happens for a reason it was [Applause] uh he’s won his entire life and he starts with another dominant first round by taking y Rodriguez down pretty significant cut on the left side for volkanovski doesn’t appear to be in too bad a place I didn’t see exactly what opened him up but he had a cut under his his right eye all week yep he’s wearing a Bandy but this is what Yer needs to do more kicks from range when Yer gets kicking on the outside it’s it’s just a wild thing to see look at y’s body wow wow volkanovski as yet avoiding those big weapons of Rodriguez as you said he had blood diamond come in to prepare him for this fight who fights and can find a very similar style very unpredictable kick off especially if you’re just striking with him yeah right if you’re not taking him down and you’re just standing with blood diamond that’s tough yeah yeah’s doing a good job of maintaining distance very smart banovski got to find his way inside the range and when he’s inside the range he’s got to get back to the gra [Applause] Rodriguez mistake here by Rodriguez trying to reach across to his back Rodriguez nearly got away with the fence grab it matters not Rodriguez right back up to his feet though very nicely done he’s got to fight the hands wow got to keep working his way towards the back here he’s got to keep that seat belt with the left hand beautiful trip great job by hul five taked Downs on eight attempts under three minutes here in round two what a percentage five of eight takedowns crazy for Alexander vulcanos big elbows from the top by the [Applause] [Music] champ okay rri as his toe got stuck in the trunks of volkanovski for a minute he’s got I mean volkanovski is doing a great job of not letting yir Rodriguez start his Escape process he’s got to keep that forward pressure going and then change the direction there it is see I was dragging him to the mat there he kind of hanging on y Rodriguez and Rodriguez has been opened up get the fingers out the that’s your last warning not sure if Rodriguez’s cauliflower ear exploded or he got cut by one of those vodi strikes banovski just doing a fantastic job of maintaining control in the ground Landing his ground and pound controlling the fight well we saw him win that quick round against makev and keep him down you know coming back down to 145 could you imagine all the strength he put on to go up maintaining that strength you must feel like a bear to these guys at featherweight kick this the fifth defense tonight for banovski trying to pass prevented from doing so by Rodriguez we’ve always heard that both could wrestle we’ve never seen him do it as the first option or not as much tonight he’s relying on it and it’s working beautifully here’s a national wrestling gold medalist in Australia back in the day one minute to go in the round and just domination so far Bowski big ground and pound by the champion oh get to the lot of blood on the face of Y Rodriguez yeah most definitely a cut of some kind around that left eyebrow I think it’s the left eyebrow and also the left ear yep oh right hand got through for banovski look at vul’s left hand but he’s kind of holding him in a collar time yeah in throwing those punches is trying to roll out of it but V flows with a V is just kind of big brothering him right now he’s beating him up they are going to have to do something different in the Rodriguez corner it has been a bloody Night Main Event following sup time this is all hard warning you grab the fence you stuck your fingers inside the glove don’t bring me into this fight strong words by Herb Dean yeah a couple of different warnings in there round three of a possible five we’ll see if Rodriguez can rally here in round three he’s got to do something big on the feet cuz on the ground he’s getting dominated yes and if he’s going to get taken down he better let it all fly while he’s up because he has not been able to get back up when gooski takes him [Applause] down so he better throw everything he can while he’s [Applause] standing great vision by banovski seeing these kicks coming now vul attacks the body Rodriguez with a flurry trying to wrap that kick around partially lands it that’s a big right from vulk volow is one of those guys generally the shorter athlete has to be the one pressing he’s one of the rare guys that shorter that can counter you he does such a great job of creating angles when you enter that he can land and make you miss as the longer after he just did it against Shyer he did it against Max y it was the big difference the thing that separated them between the fight before that which was very close he cut him open on a lot of counter strikes volkanovski perpetually switching up his footwork continuously giving new looks to Rodriguez yeah he’s got to open up on the feet yeah you know when you yir expected Bowski to press right now he’s not getting pressure so it’s almost freezing him because he’s seeing a different style of fight than he expected and he’s not getting active because when he does try to go forward he gets cter oh Big Shot The Champ acknowledged it body kick from Rodriguez good low kick by Champ level change coming from both and just when Joe called for it Rodriguez starting to open up both’s trying to trap him’s trying look at that he’s closing distance at every time he’s Cuts him off gets him close to the O side trying to set him up to try to get a take down couple of swings and misses by Rodriguez nice elbow from ven off good leg kick by Rodriguez Rodriguez is having a good round that front kick up the middle is money oh good step in Right Hook by The [Music] [Applause] Champ stop is that an I po no headbutt yeah head Clash [Applause] [Music] [Applause] sorry take a look at it oh yeah right on the jaw oh man yeah it’s not good that was a rough one going to hit you on the chin like that it’s just like taking a big punch you ready right on the take your time you good oh man that’s vicious remember when those used to be legal Mark Colman was the king of that Mark yeah then Mark’s crazy Mark out H but people man Goda of grounding P yeah Hammer house Hammer house all right back underway under 2 minutes in round three [Applause] who’s had y has had a lot of success in this round with his with his kicks he’s got to keep doing that yep just like that kick comination that’s that y style oh the head kick and it is interesting banovski DC in our fighter meeting D big right for V oh Rodriguez really hurt now covering up KN K down transition BK is going for it oh my goodness yeah he is in real trouble yeah he is that’s it it’s over looked like her was trying to close the that do it and still Alexander banovski stops shyir Rodriguez wow what else can you say about the pound-for-pound king another title defense and arguably his most dangerous Challenger Falls by the boards let’s take a look at it there it is that counter that’s that counter Jo you saw it oh my goodness look at that right hook perfectly placed right hook really wobbled him when y Smiles you know he’s in trouble level KNE and digs to the body uppercut dumps him gets on top and just smash just so smart right he could have emptied the gas tank just throwing punches at the arms of Yaya Rodriguez instead he level chain throws him down and just puts it on it D tremendous man and there’s the reaction in New South Wales ladies and gentlemen referee herb Deans called a stop to this contest at 4 minutes 19 Seconds of of round number four declaring the winner by TKO and still the Undisputed UFC featherweight champion of the world Alexander the Great [Applause] Banos I