Alexander Volkanovski is glad Max Holloway ignited a verbal altercation prior to their UFC 276 trilogy bout Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Moments: After defeating “Blessed”, the 145-pound King spoke to the media, explaining how Holloway’s remarks throughout UFC 276 fighting week had helped Volkanovski raise the bar as a fighter inside the Octagon. This result gave the featherweight legend his third consecutive loss in UFC title fights.
“It was against him, because it lit my fire. I needed that,” Volkanovski said on Saturday. “I had planned to attend that press conference [pre-fight], but I didn’t think it would be very chill. I didn’t expect much. The result was chaos, from every angle. That’s okay. I wanted to go there, I was going to soak up the energy, even if it was boos, whatever, I was using that to get that fire in the belly.
“He started trash-talking, I was like, ‘Thank you, I needed that.’ I said it to him, that’s why I was chilling, I was smiling, like, letting him know that it ain’t affecting me, it ain’t getting inside my head. I don’t know if it was a part of his game to get inside my head and try make me brawl or something like that and fight silly, I don’t, but I was like, ‘Mate, you just put fire in my belly. After I told him it wasn’t working, I was ready to go .”
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Volkanovski said all the pre-fight theatrics were “more for myself,” that he “wasn’t trying to be disrespectful to him, it was more just to let him know that.”
“I wouldn’t be the fighter I am today without him,” Volkanovski said of Holloway. He’s helped me to raise the bar. I don’t need anyone help me raise the bar, I do it myself, but he makes it easy to make me be disciplined.”
The UFC champion said that the fire started by comments from media and fans ahead of an event in which he was odds-on favorite but that was somewhat discredit due to his achievements in the cage.
“I’ve moved past it, so I don’t hold a grudge,” Volkanovski said. It’s all fine. There was one time when sh*t got to me. Although it hurt, it was difficult, but it helped me become who I am today. It was a good experience for me, made me unstoppable, invincible. A lot of people were bringing me down.”
Going 3-0 against Holloway, 12-0 in the UFC and 25-1 overall as a competitor, Volkanovski feels he should be seen differently by the MMA community after an “incredible” feat, scoring “three title fight wins over someone like Max rather than just other guys.”
“To sit there and take someone like Max three times, that’s really, really, really saying something,” he said. “They are a lot bigger wins than your average defense.”
