‘Not how it f***ing works’: Volk sounds off at ‘bulls**t’ claim before bid to break UFC curse

Legacy has never been something Alexander Volkanovski cared about too much.

UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Lopes | SUN 13 APRIL | Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski looks to become a two-time World Champion as he takes on Brazil’s Diego Lopes for the vacant Undisputed Featherweight title, in Miami | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.

When he trained hard, he wasn’t doing so with the name José Aldo or his place on the UFC’s Mount Rushmore of featherweight fighters in mind.

“That’s just who I am”, Volkanovski told foxsports.com.au earlier this week.

And these days, especially after announcing he is expecting a fourth daughter, there is no choice but for Volkanovski to continue working hard.

“Because this is how I look after my family,” he added.

“It’s the career path I chose, so I’m going to go 110 per cent for my family so I can be successful. That is way more important than legacy. But…”

And there was a long pause before that but too. Because as much as legacy didn’t used to be front of mind for Volkanovski, after two straight losses — and three in his last four fights — the 36-year-old has no choice but to confront that word ahead of Sunday’s fight.

After five successful title defences and over four years as the undisputed king of the 145-pound division, there is a sense that this could be it for Volkanovski.

That if he doesn’t have his hand raised in Miami, there may not be another chance for the Australian to reach the mountaintop again and reign supreme in the division he once had a stranglehold over.

MORE UFC 314 NEWS

MICHAEL CHANDLER: He was called a ‘very dirty man’. But Chandler says everyone’s got him wrong

PADDY PIMBLETT: He could be the UFC’s next superstar — if he can ‘shut up’ his haters

New blood is coming, headlined by Diego Lopes, his opponent in the UFC 314 main event. Patricio Pitbull is a year older than Volkanovski but could be one fight away from a title shot if he makes enough of a statement against Yair Rodriguez on Sunday in his UFC debut.

Meanwhile, fellow former Bellator standout Aaron Pico boldly declared on Saturday that he would be champion “within a year” after signing with the promotion earlier this week.

“I’ve got more important reasons why I need to succeed,” Volkanovski said.

“But you still want to be in the history books. You still want to have that legacy because a good legacy means you’re successful, right?”

Well, if that was the case Volkanovski really shouldn’t have anything to worry about, even if he loses to Lopes on Sunday, because his record in the featherweight division speaks for itself.

After all, he once sat on the throne for over 1,500 days and left a long list of champions and contenders in his wake. Aldo. Chad Mendes. Max Holloway. Brian Ortega. Jung Chan-sung. Yair Rodriguez.

“He’s number one forever,” Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier said on the UFC’s weigh-in show.

“Until somebody does what he’s done and beats the level of competition he beat. He’s the greatest of all time.”

But even if that is the case, even if a loss to Lopes wouldn’t take away what he achieved in his four years as champion, Volkanovski simply just doesn’t think this is the end of his story.

“A lot of people are going to say, ‘You’ve done enough, you’re a champ’, but I don’t know, I want to show them that you can still do a lot more,” Volkanovski said.

“It’s just funny because all of a sudden I’m just old. I’m going to show them because people quickly forget. It’s all right, I’ll quickly remind you, and then all these stats you keep throwing about over 35s and all this… I’ll stuff that right up in you and you won’t say it again.”

The statistic he’s referencing is the fact fighters who are 35 years or older have a 3-25 record in title fights at welterweight or below. Volkanovski has already fallen victim to the curse twice, first against Islam Makhachev and then against Ilia Topuria.

But it won’t happen a third time.

“I’ll prove myself that I’m different,” Volkanovski said.

“And I’ll prove it again this weekend.”

Not that Volkanovski has to prove it to everyone.

Pitbull, who makes his UFC debut on the main card in a fight against Rodriguez, said he has “learned to never doubt” the Australian.

“Because he can always do something,” the former two-division Bellator champion added.

“Of course, the moment (is here) for Diego Lopes. He’s younger, more aggressive, more dynamic, but you can never doubt Alex.”

MORE UFC 314 CONTENT

‘SAY IT TO MY FACE!’: Drama at the press conference as Volk caught in the middle

‘CUT THE B-S’: The $1m bet and ‘night of terror’ behind record-breaking beast coming for Volk

Rodriguez knows that first-hand, having been knocked out by Volkanovski in the third round of their title fight at UFC 290.

“I know what he’s capable of doing. I was right there with him,” the Mexican featherweight said.

“I know how smart he is, how disciplined he is when he was listening to his corner, literally answering back to them, ‘Yes sir. Do this. Yes sir’, you know, like soldiers.”

And Volkanovski has been more disciplined than ever in camp, understanding that while the chin and hunger are still the same, there is still something undeniably different about the position he finds himself in ahead of Sunday’s fight.

“I am in a position where I’ve never been before,” Volkanovski said.

“Never had such a big break. Never come off two losses. Never been knocked out like that, to come off two knockouts.

“I’m in a position where I need to show everyone.”

UFC boss Dana White said it would be “massive” for Volkanovski’s legacy if, after 14 months away from the competition, he is able to reclaim his throne.

Although even if he doesn’t, it speaks volumes about Volkanovski both as a person and a fighter that he is in a position to contend for the title again in the first place.

“It’s a testament to Volk and how good he really is because that division is so nasty,” White said.

“To get back there again and be able to fight for a title again is massive. Especially as you get older and you lose a few fights to some of these younger guys, to still have the drive, determination and talent to make it there again and if he can win, it’s massive to his legacy.”

Again, not that it should be. Volkanovski’s legacy is already cemented. He will go down as one of the greats and, for many people, the best to fight at 145 pounds.

One day, he will take his rightful place in the UFC’s Hall of Fame.

But for now, as long as he is still competing in the sport, it is all about taking back his crown and, in this case, proving that he’s still got it in what he called the “biggest moment” of his career.

MORE UFC 314 CONTENT

SHREDDED VOLK: The strict ban behind viral pic of Volk like you’ve never seen him before

WHAT DID HE SAY? He left Dana ‘beyond disgusted’ but this outspoken UFC fighter ‘won’t be censored’

“Outside of Ilia, this is a fight that I get to really show everyone and prove my point that I’m not old,” Volkanovski said.

“Yeah, I’m older. But since when is one year all of a sudden he’s fallen off? If people really do believe that, I need to go out there and f***ing show them. I need to go out there and win, because that’s just bulls**t.

“One year, you just fall off. That’s not how it f***ing works.

“So I’m gonna go out there and prove that. This isn’t just one year. This is a big break and coming off two losses and I’ll show you that it’s still possible.

“… I can go out there and break this 35 curse. This is big for the legacy. I’m in a position where this is gonna be the biggest moment in my career.

“You look at that title reign, this is the biggest part of the story; me getting this belt. This is how big this fight is, the timing of it all. So when I get my hand raised, I’m gonna be thankful for the past year and a bit because now this story just gets even bigger.”

Now the legend grows only larger. The Great becomes even greater.

UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Lopes | SUN 13 APRIL | Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski looks to become a two-time World Champion as he takes on Brazil’s Diego Lopes for the vacant Undisputed Featherweight title, in Miami | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.