Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Digital First Media/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images
Top-ranked featherweight contender, Alexander Volkanovski, has nothing but praise for UFC 240 headliner Frankie Edgar, who came up short against division champion, Max Holloway, in last Sat. night’s championship headliner from Edmonton.
It was a commanding performance that had amazing and talented (and under-appreciated) writers like this guy wondering what the Aussie could do differently, since “The Great” featherweight is similar to Edgar in both size and skill.
“He likes to really pour it on and you’ve seen when he’s really in your face, really trying to suffocate you, and give you that claustrophobic feeling but Frankie didn’t really crumble there and I know I won’t, and I know I can handle that pace and I know I’m very powerful,” Volkanovski said (via MMA Fighting).
“So if you want to come at me with that sort of game plan, I feel I’m pretty explosive and powerful. I feel I can do a lot more damage and again, I’ve got my wrestling background. I just want to work my game and I believe I can do that.”
Holloway (21-4) has now captured 14 straight fights at featherweight and outside of his lightweight loss to Dustin Poirier earlier this year in Atlanta, “Blessed” has looked nearly invincible in recent years, turning away both strikers and wrestlers alike.
Volkanovski is hoping the champion will agree to a quick turnaround for a possible UFC 243 co-main event in Melbourne, a potentially record-setting event headlined by the middleweight title fight between Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya.
That’s up to the doctors at this point.