Alexander Volkanovski’s unanimous decision victory over Diego Lopes at UFC 325 has taken on a new level of impressiveness following an admission from his inner circle. While fans at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney watched “The Great” execute a masterclass to retain his featherweight title, few realized the physical adversity the champion had overcome just to make the walk.
In the aftermath of the fight, Volkanovski’s longtime head coach, Joe Lopez, revealed that the entire main event was in jeopardy as recently as a month ago due to a severe injury sustained in training. Speaking on an interview posted to Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel, Lopez disclosed that Volkanovski suffered a significant shoulder injury four weeks out from the contest.
“To be fair, Alex, four weeks ago, we didn’t think he was going to fight,” Lopez admitted. “He pulled his shoulder out, really. He’s been compromised for the last four weeks with a busted shoulder.” The revelation adds a layer of grit to Volkanovski’s performance, as he managed to shut down one of the division’s most dangerous finishers while operating at less than 100 percent physical capacity.
Despite the compromised preparation, Lopez noted a distinct shift in Volkanovski’s mental state compared to his previous camp. The coach observed that Volkanovski had battled self-doubt leading up to the first Lopes fight. However, this time, the mental fortitude of the “old Volk” had returned.
Movsar Evloev will be next for Alexander Volkanovski?
“With this camp, Volk was back to himself,” Lopez said. “He was confident, didn’t have to say anything. He was just old Volk back again.” Lopez casually suggested, “Maybe we can get another four [fights] out of him,” a quote that will surely terrify the rest of the 145-pound contenders.
With Lopes now firmly in the rearview mirror, Volkanovski’s attention has shifted to the next generation of challengers. The champion has identified the upcoming main event of UFC London as the likely title eliminator. Movsar Evloev is set to clash with Lerone Murphy on March 21, and Volkanovski is interested in the winner, particularly the Russian wrestler.
“Undefeated sounds good. I mean, they are both undefeated in the UFC,” Volkanovski said during his post-fight presser. “I think Movsar’s 19-0, he’s got that wrestling and grappling style that’s taking over the UFC at the moment. The new era, they could say.”
While he acknowledged both men have cases to win the fight and get the title shot, he tipped Evloev to get the job done, setting up a potential classic “striker vs. grappler” showdown for later in the year.
