Alexander Volkanovski lost his last, biggest fight.
That sentence is true and false.
It’s true that he didn’t get his hand raised after the judges’ scorecards were read out. But in every other sense, he walked out of that cage a winner.
His entrance into that Perth arena felt, finally, like a superstar was entering the cage. He went toe to toe with the bigger man. In a lot of ways, it felt like the Canelo vs Amir Khan fight in the sense that it was a great bigger man against a great smaller man. Khan, of course, was nowhere near the level of Volkanovski but this example is just illustrative. In these fights, it constantly feels like the smaller man is walking a tightrope, one slip and they’re done. Khan fell off. Volkanovski never came close.
He fought Makhachev’s fight for periods of time, holding his own in the clinch and showing exceptional takedown defence. He finished the fight in the ascendancy and looking like he wouldn’t blow out a candle after it was all done. Another 10 seconds and Volk wins. At the end of the fight Islam was clinging on for dear life. Volk was surging.
The toughest man in the world’s toughest sport proved his toughness yet again. At this point it’s fair to wonder if Alex Volkanovski is diamond-plated.
This fight will be a key segment in the tapestry of Alexander Volkanvski’s career: in his first loss in a decade, Volk won again. The UFC agrees with that assertion, as they have retained Volkanovski as their official number 1 pound for pound fighter, thankfully remembering what “pound for pound” actually means.
Since the Makhachev fight, I have gone back and rewatched some of Volkanovski’s recent title defences. What is striking and everpresent, and what I finally noticed during the Makhachev fight, is that it never appears to occur to Volkanovski that he could lose. He is extraordinarily calm and confident even in deep water.
Particularly during the Brian Ortega fight, Volk was put into extraordinarily dangerous positions time again. In the third round particularly, Ortega set up shop at or around Volkanovski's neck. But Volk never panicked and looked as if he would sooner have his head torn off than tap. And then, once he was out of the clutches of the man who was trying to crack his windpipe, Volk wasn’t tired. He actually turned up the pace. Twice.
Normal rules of cardiovascular fitness do not apply to this man.
It was the same with Makhachev. Makhachev never put him in such a dangerous position in their most recent fight but whenever Islam had Volkanovski’s back there was no panic, no fear, no thought of losing. Indeed, at the end of the first round, as the entire nation held its breath (while Volk breathed easily) as Islam tried to work up to Volkanovski’s neck, Volk stuck his tongue out and put up a shaka sign.
He was having fun.
Same again in the fourth round. Islam had Volkanovski’s back but simply couldn’t do anything with it. The little man was just too strong for him. Then Volk started hitting Islam to the face and talking from a position of supposed weakness. The crowd erupted as the bell rung. Volk screamed.
In the biggest – and surely most important – moment of his career, Volk was just enjoying himself. It was almost absurd to see how much fun he was having in that cage in such a big historic moment for not just Australian MMA, but the history of MMA and the UFC in general. It reminded me a bit of Daniel Craig’s move to start enjoying himself post his extremely serious, tinged with darkness James Bond. Watching Volkanovski ham it up during the most seemingly dangerous moments of the biggest fight of his life would be like dropping Benoit Blanc into the balcony shooting scene in Schindler’s List.
I have emphasised time and again that Volkanovski never appears to view losing as a genuine possibility because he never did seem to entertain it during any bout since he won the featherweight strap. But he did lose this weekend according to the judges (and according to most, but not all, who watched). Regardless it was an extremely close fight, far closer than most thought it would be, and it was certainly not a robbery.
But look at how Volkanovski has carried himself post-fight. He did not whine or complain about the decision in the immediate aftermath of the fight. He even pleaded with the crowd to respect the champion.
With some time to watch the fight, he reasonably believes that he won and has said as much while always being sure to remain respectful to his opponent and to the decision. He has reiterated that, more than anything else, he just wants another shot at Makhachev.
He handled himself like champion in and out of the octagon and he finally seems to be seeping into the Australian consciousness. In losing the fight, Volkanovski has won in almost every other relevant sense.
The next man Volkanovski fights at 145 pounds will lose, even as good as Yair Rodriguez looked in the co-main event last weekend. I am confident in saying that. Volk is simply too good and he knows it.
The ballad of Alexander Volkanovski will continue on. I hope it culminates with a second Makhachev fight. I know who I’d pick.
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