UFC 290: Alex Volkanovski predicts he'd finish Conor McGregor inside three rounds, confident of KO win over Yair Rodriguez

It may have taken a while but Alex Volkanovski admits he’s managed to turn the tide of public opinion in his favour.

The UFC featherweight champion headlines UFC 290 in Las Vegas on July 9 (July 10 in Australia), looking to defend his title against exciting Mexican Yair Rodriguez.

Ahead of the bout, Volkanovski recalled being booed when walking out to compete in the fight capital previously.

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Now among the UFC’s more popular champions, Volkanovski spoke about how he’s managed to win over the fans.

“People always come around. I’m just glad I was able to be myself through the whole process,” Volkanovski told Sporting News.

“There probably were times where I thought, ‘I need to get a finish because I’m fighting decisions.’

“Maybe things people were saying would get to me. Now that I don’t care, and the fact that I don’t care, people really get to see myself.

“I’m a lot more comfortable being myself, confident and I think people can relate to that. 

“And then obviously my performances and what I’m doing, having my YouTube channel and being in front of the camera and people actually getting to see what I’m all about.”

To be fair to the Australian, he was on a bit of a hiding to nothing during his title run and early reign as champion.

Volkanovski twice fought and beat Max Holloway, one of the UFC’s most popular champions, in Las Vegas.

The nature of his other victory over Holloway, a split decision in Abu Dhabi, didn’t help his cause.

Since that fight however, the 34-year-old’s stocks, and popularity, have soared.

He overcame a nightmarish submission attempt to defeat Brian Ortega, dished out a beating to the Korean Zombie, beat Holloway for a third time in convincing fashion and, most recently, challenged lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 in Perth earlier this year.

While he didn’t have his hand raised, his impressive handling of Makhachev’s grappling and willingness to take on the feared Dagestani fighter earned him yet more plaudits.

Volkanovski reflects on lessons learned vs. Islam Makhachev

Volkanovski hopes to take lessons learned from that bout into his meeting with Rodriguez.

“Having someone like Islam, who’s probably going to be one of the best grapplers/wrestlers that I’m ever going to have to face, and then showing that I can deal with that,” he said.

“These guys, it’s meant to be their world, next minute, I’m ending up on top and punching their head through the canvas. 

“It gives you a lot more confidence in those positions and composure.”

What else did he learn from the experience with Makhachev?

“I don’t know, maybe back myself? Maybe back myself more,” Volkanovski said.

“Even with that fight, obviously I was a little hesitant with things, even though I knew I’d be okay, I still held back in certain things.

“The same here, I need to be careful with things with Yair but still back yourself, find the right time to capitalise.

“He’s going to try and throw unorthodox things but he’s going to put himself out of position. 

“Back yourself and capitalise on that. If he wants to put himself out of position to try and take my head off, take his head off.”

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How Volkanovski is preparing for Yair Rodriguez challenge

Volkanovski has brought in several specialist training partners to prepare him for Rodriguez’s unique striking ability, including a Taekwondo expert.

“We’ve brought in Carl Van Roon, Blood Diamond, Brentin Mumford, guys that like to switch stances, a lot of different looks,” Volkanovski said.

“With Brentin, he’ll switch stances, a bit more pressure, cut you off.

“You’ve got Blood, who’s very unpredictable, throwing spins, elbows, weird kicks from all different angles at ranges where he shouldn’t be able to land kicks. Very unpredictable.

“Then you’ve got Carl, who’s a master of Taekwondo, all different ranges and understands balance and kicks and where to kick from and when not to. He’s heavier, a lot longer and a lot bigger puzzle to figure out.

“To have problems like that, day in, day out in the gym, it’s pretty incredible.”

Despite a winning streak which had him ranked as the UFC’s no. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, the judges have been required in six of Volkanovski’s past seven fights.

Against Rodriguez, Volkanovski is sensing the possibility of an early night, although a decision victory won’t bother him as much as it might have in the past.

“I definitely do [see it as a fight he can finish],” he said.

“I’m prepared for the five rounds. I used to care so much about that. For me, my fights are fun anyway. 

“People enjoy them so I don’t need to try so hard but I’d be lying if I wasn’t going to try and get the finish. 

“I definitely feel like I can get the finish because he will put himself out of position to hurt me so I can capitalise on that. 

“Whether it is taking his head off, whether it is me picking him up and dumping him on his head and submitting or ground and pounding his head through the canvas.

“Whatever it is, there’s a lot of opportunities there so I want to back myself and capitalise.”

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Volkanovski reflects on return to featherweight

Much has been made of Volkanovski’s former life as a semi-professional rugby league prop forward and his transformation into featherweight champ.

The Illawarra-product famously weighed 97kg (214-pounds) in those days before eventually finding himself king at 145-lb.

When moving up to lightweight to fight Makhachev, Volkanovski packed some of that weight back on but said he’s had no trouble dropping back down to featherweight and expects to do things differently if he can get a rematch with the first man to defeat him in 10 years.

“My weight’s really good. There was a week there where I was going, ‘Maybe this will be a little bit harder,’” Volkanovski said of dropping back to featherweight.

“At the start of [camp], we were thinking we were going to cruise through this. Then that little bit of travel and I was like, ‘Oh, maybe not.’ But it just made me a little bit more disciplined over the weekends. 

“I had one weekend off the extra big barbeques and desserts and it got me right back on track, so now we’re right where we need to be.

“I want to try and get a little bit lighter if I can.

“I perform best lighter, I feel. 

“Even when I fight at lightweight, you’re not going to see me try and put on too much weight. I move best at the weight I am now.”

Volkanovski has made no secret of his wish to take on Makhachev again, having come so close to winning a title in a second weight class.

Will Alex Volkanovski fight at UFC 293 in Sydney?

Despite being just a few months shy of his 35th birthday, “Alexander The Great” is still chasing more opportunities for the future and didn’t rule out backing up to fight at UFC 293 in Sydney just nine weeks after he takes on Rodriguez.

“You never know. If there’s anyone who could do it, it’s definitely me,” he said.

“It’s just when you’re a champion, it’s hard to just fight anybody. You’ve got to fight the right opponents. If there was someone already there and it was an easy option, yeah, we probably would do it. 

“We’ll see, I’ll never say never, I think I can turn around, hopefully we can turn around with no injuries. I’d be lying if I said I’m not working on it.”

One potential opponent is Georgia’s Ilia Topuria, who claimed a lopsided decision victory over Josh Emmett at the weekend to cement himself as the next man in line.

Speaking on The MMA Hour, Topuria put his hand up to take on Volkanovski on the road.

“I think Volkanovski is going to hold the belts, I think he will.” Topuria said.

“No f***ing problem [to fight Volkanovski in Australia]. If I’m the best in the world, I can beat him in Australia.

“In Las Vegas, in Miami, in Spain, wherever we go, I beat him. Like, location is no problem.”

Volkanovski eyeing off Conor McGregor clash

With a new breed of contenders on the rise, does Volkanovski have the drive to keep going?

“I’ve definitely got a good few years in me anyway,” he said.

“I think I will definitely be in my prime for another two years at least. And I want to be active, so that’s a lot of fights.”

One megafight which remains on his radar is a clash with Conor McGregor.

Recent reports have suggested McGregor will be ineligible to compete until next year as he's not yet in the USADA testing pool.

Volkanovski said that suits him fine.

“He can still come in in 2024. That lines up perfect for me to have a couple of fights and then fight him,” he said.

“He can do what he wants until then, then he’ll be in the testing pool and we can have a payday.

“Whatever weight. It was funny because we had a little bit of a Twitter battle… because I said, ‘Anytime, anywhere, any weight,’ He goes, ‘That’s my saying.’ I didn’t know it was but I said, ‘Yeah, you probably say it, but I f***in’ do it.’ 

“All these people say it but wait a second, I’ve fought at middleweight, I’ve fought at welterweight, I’m the one who’s active, I will fight anyone, I will fight the people who they’re saying are the worst matchups. I’m doing it. You can all talk your sh*t, I’m doing it.”

And how does Volkanovski versus McGregor go down?

“I’m just too well rounded,” Volkanovski added.

“He’s dangerous. A lot of people have got to remember that but I’m too calculated. 

“I think he gasses himself pretty quickly and I finish him in the second or third round, I reckon.”