Alexander Volkanovski stands by his emotional comments after his knockout loss, clarifying that he had been struggling with a newborn, surgery, and a lack of training, but emphasizes his commitment to his fighting career and his desire to continue defending his UFC featherweight title.
Alexander Volkanovski recently addressed the comments he made at the UFC 294 post-fight press conference after his knockout loss to Islam Makhachev. While he doesn’t regret what he said, he felt the need to offer an explanation. In a reaction video posted on his YouTube channel, Volkanovski clarified that his emotions were raw in that moment, but he wanted people to know that he is okay. He believes it’s important to discuss the mental side of things, not just in fighting or sports, but in general.
Volkanovski had the opportunity to fight Makhachev on short notice, and he felt compelled to take the fight to rectify their previous encounter in February. However, this time around, he had been recovering from surgery and dealing with the arrival of a new baby, which limited his training time. He wanted to clarify that the past few months had been challenging for him, juggling family responsibilities with being a high-performance athlete. Volkanovski emphasized that his family and career are the most important things to him and that he wants to provide for his family through his fighting.
The devastation of the loss weighed heavily on Volkanovski, and he felt disappointed in himself for not being as disciplined as he usually is. He acknowledged that eventually, he will have to move on from fighting, but at the moment, his focus remains on his career. He expressed his desire to defend his UFC featherweight title against Ilia Topuria and hopes to return to the octagon in early 2024. Volkanovski emphasized that he doesn’t need a break and wants to get back into training as soon as possible.
Overall, Volkanovski’s comments shed light on the emotional toll a loss can have on a fighter. He acknowledged the challenges he faced leading up to the fight and the importance of balancing his family life with his fighting career. Despite the setback, Volkanovski remains determined to continue his career and defend his title.