Reporter Lee Hyeong-joo = Alexander Volkanovski (35, Australia) is a player with a brilliant personality as well as outstanding skills.
Current UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski faced current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (32, Russia) at UFC 284, a mixed martial arts event held at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on the 12th (Korean time). Volkanovski lost the match by unanimous decision, but he captivated the fans with his excellent performance.
In general, assuming that no conditions are set in combat sports, the fighter with the higher weight class wins almost unconditionally. This is because players with higher weights have the upper hand in various conditions such as strength and reach. This is one of the reasons fight sports are divided into weight classes.
However, questions arise about who is the ‘strongest in pure skill’, excluding weight classes. For this reason, fighting organizations often announce ‘P4P’ rankings that compare fighters by weight class. P4P (Pound For Pound) is a weight class correction ranking. More simply, it is a pure skill ranking ignoring weight classes.
The UFC leader in this ranking is Volkanovski, who lost this time. He is the No. 1 fighter in the P4P rankings and has the highest honor. However, he chose to take on a challenge rather than settle for the present. No. 1 in calibration and an absolute powerhouse in the featherweight division, he raised his weight class and challenged the lightweight champion Makachev.
The result was defeat, but Volkanovski showed outstanding skills even against opponents who were bigger and heavier than himself. Despite his sudden increase in weight and inferiority in the aforementioned weight class, his blows are natural, and he is equal in wrestling skills and strength fights.
In particular, Volkanovski’s last minute was truly a masterpiece. In the pounding state, he hit Makachev one after another, creating effective hits. As the final whistle blew, he didn’t win or knock out, but it was a part that made me realize why he is considered the best fighter in the weight division and what a great fighter he is. 스포츠토토
But what shone more than his skills was his personality. After the match, booing came out towards Makachev. It was a match held in Volkanovski’s homeland, and the fans were booed at the unanimous judgment of defeat by the judges, which was difficult to understand. But Volkanovski asked for the booing to stop. It was a moment when personality shined.
This also reminded me of Volkanovski’s good personality, which he showed in the UFC 273 title fight with Jung Chan-sung last time. After winning the game without regret, Volkanovski put his hands together and showed respect by watching Chan-sung Jeong’s interview. In addition, even after the game, he respected his opponent Chan-sung Jeong through social media posts and interviews.
It is Volkanovski who refrains from even the usual trash talk. In addition to his outstanding skills, he is also equipped with personality. He is an exemplary player.