Logan Paul is officially done with BJJ after spending the morning sparring with reigning UFC featherweight champion and pound-for-pound great Alexander Volkanovski.
On Saturday, July 8, Volkanovski will return to the Octagon for a highly anticipated clash with interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez as part of this year’s International Fight Week festivities. Weeks away from his second appearance of 2023, Volkanovski sat down with the social media sensation to discuss what exactly makes ‘The Great’ so great. During their conversation, Logan Paul revealed that the two engaged in a sparring session earlier that morning, and by the sounds of it, things did not go well for the WWE Superstar.
“You’re the best in the world at what you do. I got to experience it this morning,” Paul said during a recent episode of his IMPAULSIVE podcast.
“It’s like I knew it. I knew it going into it. I’ve said it on this very podcast before I even knew you, and one of the first fights that I saw of you that impressed me,” Paul continued. “I had the feeling, the instinct to speak on it because I could tell how fiery you were. I think it was actually the first time you popped on the scene for me. I’m usually a little late on the bandwagon, but man, you are so strong and dominant, and you put me in a body lock, and I feel like you could’ve tightened your legs so much and just literally split me in half. I’m not doing BJJ again.”
Alexander Volkanovski, alongside City Kickboxing teammate and fellow UFC champion Israel Adesanya, recently became the first official athletes of Logan Paul’s PRIME energy drink.
Alexander Volkanovski Shares His Secret to Becoming One of the Best Fighters in the World
Asked what drives him to be one of the best fighters in the world, Volkanovski believes it’s all a matter of working hard and having a penchant for problem-solving when stuck in a tight situation like the one he found himself in against Brian Ortega.
“I think I’ve always been like a Brazilian dude. Durable, strong. Obviously, my techniques [are] updated now as well. Like software. I’m very well-rounded. My striking, I’ve always been gritty and hard-working. So that was a good example of it,” Volkanovski said, referencing his UFC 266 fight with Brian Ortega. “Because a lot of people are like, ‘What made you the champ? What made you who you are today?’
“I just point at that, pretty much. Like, that’s the guy. That’s the guy that turns up in the gym every time. A never give up attitude. Problem-solving is like, f*ck, just do what you got to do to get out f*cking this and I won’t look for any other option other than do something f*cking about it. That’s how I’ve always been.”
Alexander Volkanovski will have another big problem to solve next month as he steps back into the main event spotlight for a title unification showdown with Yair Rodriguez. Hailing from Mexico, a country that has seen a slew of UFC champions emerge from the shadows in recent years, Rodriguez scored the biggest win of his career in February, finishing heavy-hitting featherweight standout Josh Emmett at UFC 284 to claim the interim crown.
On July 8, ‘El Pantera’ will attempt to trade in his interim title for undisputed gold as he meets the No. 2 ranked P4P fighter in the world.