Alexander Volkanovski took part in a fan question-and-answer session with fellow fighters ahead of UFC 304. Passionate UFC fans charged the atmosphere with energy. Interestingly, some of the questions became confrontational. However, Volkanovski, known for his poise and sportsmanship, handled the situation with grace and good-natured humor.
‘The Great’ hilariously volunteered to step in on short notice if one of the main event fighters withdrew. Volk engaged with fans on stage, replying to their questions. That is when a troublemaker questioned Volkanovski about how it felt to be knocked out by a head kick from Islam Makhachev. The 35-year-old promptly resorted to a joke about people forgetting everything after being knocked out.
It felt real good. Wait wait wait, what headkick? I don t remember a thing. What happened? I got headkicked?
Alexander Volkanovski via UFC 304 Q&A
The first fight between Volkanovski and Makhachev was incredibly tight. Ultimately, Makhachev emerged victorious despite numerous fans and experts believing that ‘Volk’ had won that fight. However, in the second fight, the Dagestani handed Volk his first knockout loss in his UFC career. Interestingly, this was the second loss in his professional career, the first being a head-kick knockout.
After a hiatus from the sport, the Australian fighter is intensively re-engaging in training, focusing on the upcoming battles. He has shown consistent interest in facing featherweight champion Ilia Topuria in a rematch. Simultaneously, Volkanovski has openly communicated his enthusiasm for a potential matchup with fan favorite Charles ‘Do Bronx’ Oliveira.
Alexander Volkanovski regrets his decision to take Islam Makhachev on short notice
Alexander Volkanovski is one of the veterans in the UFC. The 35-year-old Australian made his UFC debut in 2016. He had an extraordinary undefeated record with victories over Max Holloway, Chad Mendes, and Jose Aldo. Interestingly, Volkanovski’s graph at the promotion drastically fell off after his defeat against Islam Makhachev.
Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 (via Sky Sports)The Dagestani fighter defeated the Aussie twice. Volkanovski then eventually went on to lose his featherweight belt as well to Ilia Topuria. Recently, on his YouTube channel, the 35-year-old posted a video. He shed light on his back-to-back defeats to Makhachev. In the process, Volkanovski also mentioned how he regrets his decision to fight the Dagestani on short notice.
I am not planning on having a quick turn around like I did after that October fight with Islam (Makhachev)… Some people gonna say it was bad idea… Maybe there was something there.
Alexander Volkanovski on his YouTube channel
Alexander Volkanovski seemingly regrets his decision to take the short notice rematch with Islam Makhachev, back at UFC 294. 🤕
🗣️ – “I’m not gonna make a quick turn around like i did with Islam, everybodys saying it was a bad idea, maybe there was something there”.… pic.twitter.com/EPNkbJlwI8
— MMA Frenzy (@mma_frenzy) February 29, 2024
Now, coming to the present, the former featherweight champion is enjoying his off-the-cage extra-curricular activities. However, it remains to be seen who would be his next opponent. Reportedly, a featherweight title clash between Topuria and Holloway is also around the corner. It will be interesting to see how UFC plans the bouts for these three top featherweights.
