Alexander Volkanovski admits he doesn’t have the resume to be called the greatest featherweight of all time.
However, Volkanovski (23-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) has every intention of changing that narrative as he moves forward with his career, and Saturday’s title defense against Chan Sung Jung (17-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in the UFC 273 main event is a key piece of the puzzle to enhancing his stature.
If Volkanovski wants GOAT status for himself, he needs to continue on his current trajectory.
“I believe I’ve still got more work to do,” Volkanovski told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 273 media day. “I give Aldo the respect. To be champion for as long as he was is incredible. No matter – the opposition that I’m facing with guys like himself and Max, I think I’m fighting absolute killers. It’s pretty clear. But at the same time, to be champion that long, there’s going to be days you don’t show up, injuries, bad weight cuts – we’ve all done it. It’s a nightmare to not be on a day you’ve got to defend your belt. And for him to be for so long, it’s saying something.”
“Do I think I need that many defenses? No, I don’t,” Volkanovski said. “Do I think I’m there right now? No, I’m not going to claim that yet. I’m going to go ahead and do my thing. If people want to claim it for me, all good. But I’ve still got some work to do.”
To accomplish his goals, Volkanovski said he knows his UFC 273 fight with “The Korean Zombie” is a critical one. He can’t stumble in this situation, and he has every intention of putting together a dominant showcase.
“This is a legacy fight,” Volkanovski said. “I’ve taken out a lot of the legends, and I want to keep taking out legends. He’s definitely one of them. He’s earned this spot. He definitely has.”
