Alexander Volkanovski isn’t inserting himself atop the checklist of the best featherweights of all-time.
That honor is reserved for the legendary José Aldo, in response to a current interview Volkanovski did with mainevent. With Aldo set to return to motion in opposition to Jonathan Martinez this Saturday at UFC 301, Volkanovski was requested the place he ranks the previous UFC champion among the many finest ever to compete at 145 kilos.
“That’s for different individuals to determine, however for me, for those who’re going to ask me, I’m going to say Aldo as a result of he was the champion for a really very long time,” Volkanovski stated. “Clearly, individuals are going to take a look at the competitors and all that, however to be champion for that lengthy, issues go flawed. You struggle injured, there’s so many issues that may go flawed, and to be champion that lengthy, it’s saying one thing. He was very dominant as a champion as properly, so full respect to Aldo.”
Aldo’s reign because the undisputed No. 1 featherweight is revered amongst followers and friends, with the Brazilian claiming the World Excessive Cagefighting title in 2009 after which persevering with to defend that belt when it was promoted to the UFC title in 2011. In complete, Aldo collected 9 straight title defenses earlier than a loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 194.
At UFC 200 in July 2016, Aldo gained an interim belt by defeating Frankie Edgar, then reclaimed undisputed standing when McGregor vacated his share of the title. Aldo competed at featherweight till Might 2019, when he was defeated by Volkanovski. The loss prompted Aldo to drop all the way down to bantamweight.
Volkanovski remembers his duel with Aldo properly.
“It was loopy,” Volkanovski stated. “I clearly had a recreation plan, we knew what he was good at, as a result of he’s so good. He’s technically sound, he does all the pieces proper, so as a result of I understand how well-trained he’s, I needed to try to use that in opposition to him — which sounds so bizarre, utilizing somebody’s good method in opposition to them. Every little thing is simply, you make one motion, he is aware of precisely the place he must be, so I had to make use of that in opposition to him.
“However he’s so fast-twitch and he nonetheless is — even now on the age he’s and the way lengthy he’s been within the recreation, he’s nonetheless so quick twitch. I keep in mind these instances once I was like, ‘Yep, this punch is touchdown.’ I used to be like midway by means of my punch, I do know when it’s going to land, and he would nonetheless get out of the way in which. I’m similar to, ‘What the hell?’ It simply reveals you ways loopy and explosive that bloke is.”
Aldo seems set to retire from MMA competitors for good after this weekend. The Martinez bout marks the final struggle of Aldo’s present UFC contract and he’s anticipated to return to boxing no matter Saturday’s end result.
Ought to this be the final time Aldo makes that UFC walkout, he leaves with an unimpeachable legacy, one which impressed a technology of lighter-weight fighters. Together with Volkanovski.
“Clearly, his method, his talent is all the time going to be one thing that you simply’re going to understand,” Volkanovski stated. “However him being such a respectful champion, that’s how I wish to be. I believe he’s morally right, I believe he’s simply respectful. He’s how a champion must be, and that was one thing that I actually did recognize and it made me need to be an incredible champion too. I believe I used to be all the time going to be respectful, that’s simply who I’m, nevertheless it’s so good to see somebody like him being the champion as a result of it’s one thing you can respect and folks do actually recognize.”
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