It’s international fight week and the highly anticipated UFC 290 offers up two title clashes as Alexander Volkanovski defends his featherweight belt against the current interim champion Yair Rodriguez.
It’s no secret that Alexander Volkanovski has ambitions of securing dominance in both the featherweight and lightweight divisions.
After losing to Islam Makhachev at UFC 284, Volkanovski failed to become only the fifth dual-weight champion in the UFC but created one of the greatest champ vs champ bouts the organisation has ever witnessed.
The fight delivered on its promise and a potential rematch will most likely be revisited in the near future.
“I’m going to get that second belt and I’m going to keep both divisions busy”, Volkanovski replied during the UFC 290 press conference when asked about his unfinished business with Makhachev.
Hell-bent on securing a dynasty in the sport, Volkanovski still showed signs of respect as he acknowledged the ‘unpredictably’ and challenge that Yair Rodriguez poses to his aspiration.
Standing in Volk’s way, Rodriguez offers a plethora of weapons in his arsenal- with his fight-ending possibilities boundless and his determination to succeed indomitable.
From front kicks to whacky aerial assaults, Rodriguez can throw out a treacherous offence without hesitation. Volkanovksi has prepared accordingly, training with UFC welterweight Mike ‘Blood’ Diamond- a fighter who also adopts an unpredictable nature coupled with a range of striking techniques.
In truth- as Volkanovski alluded to in today’s press conference- there is no feasible way of preparing for Yair’s erratic approach to a scrap.
When asked about sparring partners similar to Yair’s style, Volk explained that “you’re never going to find a Yair Rodriguez, someone that can emulate him perfectly”.
Yair responded in kind and maintained his respect for the champion.
“He’s one of the greatest of all time and I’m really happy to be facing this guy, honoured, to be honest”, Yair said before reaching out to shake his opponent’s hand.
Respect was the theme of the UFC 290 press conference, but you best believe it will be no holds barred between these two come Saturday night.
Mexico’s latest champion has high aspirations of getting his hands on the real gold and in doing so may flatline the road to greatness that Volkanovksi is projected to embark on.
With Volk looking to operate in two separate divisions, Yair may well ensure that the Aussie needs to hang around the featherweight scene a while longer.
