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Alexander Volkanovski isn't under the illusion that he's still in his prime, but he plans to perform as if he is.
In October, Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against Movsar Evloev in the main event of UFC 333. The champion will step into the octagon at 38 years old, leading fans to question how much he has left in the sport. However, Volkanovski himself is adamant that these questions will become irrelevant after his performance.
"I believe that at 38, I'm going to go out there and put on a perfect performance, and people are going to say, 'What?! This guy has another 10 years in him!'" Volkanovski told Main Event. "Which is probably not true, but honestly, I think that's what people will be saying after I do my job."
Already considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, Volkanovski is in a rare position, holding a title at this age. He admits it would be "cool" to defend his belt at 38. For him, however, this fight is more about the opportunity to face an undefeated fighter in his prime and completely neutralize him.
"I want to fight the best," Volkanovski said. "Don't come to me with half-hearted talk like, 'I don't want to wrestle because I want to entertain the crowd.' No. That's not going to happen. I want to fight the best. I've always wanted the biggest challenge. Stylistically, I think this is a great match-up for me, and I don't think it's the craziest challenge. But he's the best who deserves it, and I'm the champion who fights the best, and that's it. He doesn't possess the knockout power threat. But, having said that, because I'm so confident in my takedown defense and my game, his best chance is to knock me out. A lot of people think, 'He's just going to try to wrestle.' That will be thrown out the window after one or two rounds. He'll get too tired to keep trying to take me down. So, I believe it would be better for him to just swing and try to hit me. Honestly, that's what I truly believe. No one in my division can beat me by decision. And I know that seems to be the only way he wins, but against me, that won't happen. I truly believe that."
Instead, Volkanovski expects to deliver a classic performance that will leave fans amazed and prove how great he truly is.
"I think it's pretty obvious what I'm going to do with Movsar," Volkanovski said. "Movsar will want to go for takedowns. He knows how to win, he knows how to steer the fight where he wants it, but that's just not going to happen with me. Movsar will look for the takedown. It won't work. Even if he gets me to the ground, I'll be right back up. I'll break free, be in his face, and land punches. I truly believe I'm going to outclass him."
"You'll definitely say: 'This, honestly, looks like Volkanovski in his prime.' I truly believe those will be the headlines after this fight. Is it because I'm in my prime? No. It's because of the fight; that's how it will unfold."
"I think this is the perfect fight for me to go out and shine, perhaps brighter than I ever have. This could be one of my greatest performances – at 38 years old. Which is pretty cool."
UFC 333 will take place on October 24th at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
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