Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski has locked in another UFC featherweight title defence against rising star Ilia Tuporia in February as the Australian looks to rebound from an early knockout in his last fight.
The 35-year-old last month took a rematch against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev with just 11 days notice and paid the price for his lack of preparation with a brutal first-round knockout loss.
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Despite the manner of the defeat, Volkanovski immediately said he was eager to get back in the octagon as soon as possible, with UFC Dana White granting his wish.
White announced on social media overnight that the Tuporia fight would go ahead in UFC298 in February, with the exact date and location to be confirmed and Toronto floated as an option.
The Aussie champion also took to social media to acknowledge the thrilling fight announcement, posting an intense training highlight reel.
“February, we go again,” The Great said.
Volkanovski (26-3) has five successful title defences at featherweight, while Topuria (14-0) is a 26-year-old Spain resident of Georgian descent and is 6-0 in the UFC with five finishes.
The Wollongong ace stepped in at the last minute to replace injured challenger Charles Oliveira against Makhachev at UFC 294 and admitted later that it might have been a “silly idea”.
He said he’d been keen to fight again following arm surgery in July, with his mental health suffering without a fixed goal.
“I needed to get in camp and this fight came up and I’m like ‘it’s meant to be, let’s do it’,” the father of three said.
“But maybe it was just a silly decision under the circumstances.
“I never thought I’d struggle with it, but for some reason when I wasn’t fighting or in camp, I was just doing my head in.
“I needed a fight and this opportunity came up.”
Emotional confession
The Australian mixed martial arts star’s suffering mental health was on full display after his loss at UFC 294.
Fighting back tears at the post-fight press conference, he offered a brief insight into how his mental health contributed to the defeat.
“It is hard. It really is hard for athletes. I never thought I’d struggle with it but for some reason when I wasn’t fighting or in camp…” Volkanovski said in his post-fight press conference, taking a breather before continuing.
“It (not being in camp) was just doing my head in. So when this opportunity came up, I’ll be honest I wasn’t training as much as I should’ve but I thought I had to take it.
“I’m telling myself that it was meant to be. I was struggling a little bit not fighting, it was doing my head in. I don’t know how, I’ve got a beautiful family. I think you just need to keep busy … I’ll leave it at that.”
The 35-year-old fighter’s admission came less than two months after his wife Emma gave birth to their third child, heightening concerns for his wellbeing.
Volkanovski has since shared a video update to fans reiterating he is ok and detailing the specific circumstances behind his struggles.
He said it partly came from internal pressure about making the most of his prime – not knowing “if my days are numbered” – both as an athlete and a provider for his family.
His mindset around fighting for his family brought about the emotional revelation that he feels he is “an even better dad” when he is locked in, something he missed out on recently with surgery in July, his daughter’s birth in August and the abbreviated lead-up to the Makhachev fight.
“Me and my wife, we’re great, we’ve got a beautiful family, we’re all good, I want everyone to know that. I don’t want everyone thinking that. It’s not like that,” Volkanovski said of his mental health battles.
“It was just me trying to deal with being a high-performance athlete and not being able to fulfil that side of things, especially the last few months.
“When I’m in camp there’s a specific direction, I know exactly what’s happening. It’s easy. I’m still very present at home, I’m my most happiest, I’m probably an even better dad when I’m in camp because I’m ticking all the boxes.
“But it was harder to do that the last few weeks with everyone that it was happening. It was more just the timing, that’s why you see me a little bit more vulnerable in the press conference after getting knocked out.”
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