Fox Sports Australia’s Nick Walshaw brings you all the latest news and views in Aussie and global MMA in his weekly column, The Takedown.
Alexander Volkanovski has confirmed he carried a busted right foot into his most recent UFC blockbuster against Islam Makhachev, a truth which sees him convinced he remains the lightweight champion’s “biggest threat”.
Only two months on from his controversial loss to Makhachev at UFC 284, Volkanovski is already back in camp for a hyped July defence of his featherweight crown in Las Vegas.
Watch UFC 288: Sterling v Cejudo LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday May 7 from 12pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >
While now totally focused on a UFC 290 showdown against Mexican Yair Rodriguez – which is set to headline International Fight Week — Australia’s No.1 fighter also wants a second shot at Makhachev before the year is out.
Better, Team Makhachev have confirmed they are willing to accept a rematch with the UFC featherweight champ (see item below), with head coach Javier Mendez saying “we’re not dodging nothing”.
While Volkanovski isn’t so sure the Dagestani wrestler really is keen to throw down a second time, the 34-year-old definitely wants another crack at ‘champ champ’ status.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, ‘The Great’ finally confirmed whispers he had carried an injury into his February showdown with Makhachev – which he eventually lost via decision.
While refusing to go into detail about what happened – “fighters are always dealing with stuff” – the Aussie did confirm he wasn’t 100 per cent for the biggest championship opportunity of his life.
MORE COVERAGE
Report: UFC set for big blow as injury forces star out of co-main event
‘Dad would kick my a**e’: Whittaker’s big reveal for UFC trilogy blockbuster
‘Such a f**king joke’: UFC world erupts over ‘clown show’ as shock Jake Paul fight revealed
Asked if he had been carrying an injury against Makhachev, Volkanovski replied: “I’d damaged tendons and ligaments in my foot, yeah.
“Had a heap of stuff going on.
“It was alright. And I was still kicking with it.
“But I just had to make sure I didn’t hit the foot. Make sure I didn’t put myself in a position where they (the ligaments) completely snapped.
“But they’re little things you deal with.
“Nobody would’ve ever known.”
Pushed on how compromised he was, Volkanovski continued: “Look, I didn’t use the right leg as much as I would’ve liked with kicks, but I’ve also got plenty of other tools to use.
“So while my preparation was good, it wasn’t perfect – trust me.
“There was plenty happening.
“But while some people will bring stuff like that up I don’t feel the need to. I work around it.”
VOLK WANTS ISLAM BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Given the way his first fight with Makhachev ended – “with me punching his head through the canvas” — Volkanovski now wants a second shot at the UFC lightweight title in 2023.
While refusing to look beyond his next title defence against Rodriguez, a fighter he says is more dangerous than even Max Holloway, Volkanovski also knows a win will earn another shot at that second title.
Asked if he expects Makhachev to fight again before their proposed rematch, Volkanovski said: “I don’t know what’s happening with him but I’m not waiting around.
“I’ll go fight and win.
“And maybe he squeezes one more in. Or maybe he could try to force something thinking that the UFC then won’t rematch me and him straight away?
“We’ll see.
“But everyone wants to see that rematch.”
Reckon even Makhachev wants to see it?
“Of course not,” Volkanovski laughed. “He knows I’m the biggest threat.
“I’m the smaller guy. And from the lighter division.
“Remember how our first fight ended too.
“From his end, that has to hurt.
“With me finishing by punching his head through the canvas.
“Everyone thought he was going to walk through me, so it didn’t look good for him.
“And I know he might say ‘oh, next time things will be different’.
“But he knows it isn’t going to be easy.
“He clearly knows that even where he is very strong, I can deal with it.
“We’ve now seen that.”
THREE TAFA BROTHERS TO UFC
Rising Australian heavyweight Junior Tafa plans to mark Sunday’s UFC debut in Las Vegas with a knockout so spectacular it earns him a brand new jetski.
Among the nation’s most exciting MMA prospects, Tafa is finally readying to make his long-awaited Octagon debut against Mohammed Usman – the younger brother of star UFC welterweight Kamaru Usman.
Still only 26, the Queenslander is himself the younger sibling of fellow UFC heavyweight Justin Tafa, who is currently on a two-winning streak with the company.
Tafa, meanwhile, is himself on a run of nine straight wins across MMA, boxing, kickboxing, even Muay Thai – and all of them via knockout.
“But if you don’t knock ‘em out, it don’t count,” laughs the fighter who will definitely be chasing one of Dana White’s US $50,000 performance bonus on debut.
“Those bonuses, they certainly suit my style of fighting.
“And I do wanna get myself a nice jet ski.”
While he may be new to the UFC scene, Tafa is already approaching 40 professional fights, having competed in organisations such as Glory for kickboxing and RIZIN for MMA.
Only last year, the fighter also appeared on a Paul Gallen undercard – where he kayoed 146kg rival David Tuliloa.
A win over Usman this Sunday however would be a huge result for the Australian, who also revealed he will likely campaign at light heavyweight moving forward.
HOW VOLK WORRIED GOAT
Islam Makhachev’s team are urging the UFC to book a lightweight title rematch with Alexander Volkanovski – despite revealing how worried Khabib Nurmagomedov was during the pair’s first championship bout.
Speaking on a Dubai podcast this week, Makhachev’s head coach Javier Mendez confirmed both he and the champ are keen to sign on again for Australia’s top MMA fighter saying “we’re not dodging nothing”.
Yet Mendez also revealed how concerned Nurmagomedov was before the pair’s first fight at UFC 284 in February, with the retired UFC superstar ringing him continually throughout camp to air his concerns.
After hanging up his gloves three years ago, Nurmagomedov anointed Makhachev as his successor in the lightweight division and became a regular in his corner.
While also initially calling for the Volkanovski fight in Australia, the man who exists in every GOAT conversation did not make the trip Down Under because of family commitments.
Yet speaking on Jibber with Jaber this week, coach Mendez revealed just how concerned Nurmagomedov was about the Volkanovski threat.
“Khabib would call me up,” Mendez recounted, “and say, ‘coach, I’m really worried about this fight … Volkanovski is really tough, I’m concerned for Islam a little bit on this one’.
“I was like, ‘I’m not, we’re going to win this fight. I don’t know how easy or how hard, but we’re going to win this fight. So, I know you’re worried Khabib, but I’m not worried.’
“And he goes, ‘I know, I know, coach, but we know this is a tough fight, we have to prepare for a tough fight’.
“I go, ‘Yeah, that’s true, but I still feel like we’re going to win’.”
Turns out they were both right.
“Was it a tougher fight than I thought? Hell yeah,” Mendez said. “But am I looking forward to the rematch if they have one? Hell yeah.
“I want that rematch and I know Islam wants it too. We’re not dodging nothing.
“If the UFC puts that match together, it’s going to happen. It’s going to happen willingly on both parties. They’re [Volkanovski’s team] going to want it, we’re going to want it and I would hope they [the UFC] would make it a huge event because that fight delivered. It was everything that was expected.”
WHITTAKER SOLVES IZZY PUZZLE
Robert Whittaker has credited Israel Adesanya for helping him “know wholeheartedly” he will walk away with his hand raised – and a title belt – when they next cross paths.
While Whittaker still has no idea if he will fight Adesanya for the UFC middleweight strap next, Australia’s first champ insists he will be victorious whenever their trilogy bout arrives.
And the Sydneysider said it was the “puzzle” posed by the New Zealander in their first two fights that had given him that confidence.
“I’m hunting that redemption fight because I know, next time we cross paths, I’m going to beat him,” Whittaker told The Takedown this week. “And I know that wholeheartedly.
“Because the puzzle that is Adesanya, it’s taken me to the next level.
“You saw that in my last fight with Marvin Vettori.
“And now I’m going to show you (again) how that puzzle has taken me to that next level … by handily beating Adesanya the next time we cross paths.”
