UFC 298: Alex Volkanovski talks lessons from Tom Brady ahead of fight against Ilia Topuria
Aussie Alex Volkanovski is taking inspiration from retired NFL superstar Tom Brady ahead of his fight with the dangerous Ilia Topuria.
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Alex Volkanovski is leaving no stone unturned ahead of his featherweight title defence against Ilia Topuria, even picking the brain of NFL legend Tom Brady as he prepares for the dangerous knockout artist.
Volkanovksi travels to Anaheim for his UFC 298 showdown with rising upstart Topuria next weekend, but made a pit-stop trip to Melbourne last month for a rare chat with Patriots icon Brady.
Video of Brady throwing a football to Volk went viral, with the Aussie gaining around 200,000 followers on Instagram, which tipped him over the two million follower mark.
More importantly though, was the conversation Volkanovski had with the seven-time Super Bowl champion.
“I’m still chasing a legacy like his, but I can relate to some of the things he spoke about,” Volkanovski told this masthead.
“He used to look in a mirror after some training sessions and just say to himself, ‘You don’t deserve to be here, you don’t belong here, you don’t deserve this hype’.
“And this was right when everyone was saying how good he was – he was still the best – but it wasn’t good enough for him.
“It’s not about being the best, it’s about being better than the man you were the day before.
“That’s stuff I’ve always done as well. It’s good to see the GOATs in all sports do that, so I feel I’m on the right track to achieve it.”
With his featherweight title reign stretching into an impressive fifth year, Volkanovski is already making a case to be considered one of the sport’s greats.
Former two-weight world champion Daniel Cormier believes he should already be in that conversation, but the Aussie says it’s definitely still a work in progress.
“People that know the sport can appreciate that I ain’t fighting just anybody – I’m fighting the biggest challenges possible,” he said. “But, it’s still ongoing. If I haven’t done enough for the people yet, I will soon.
“A lot of people are happy to just reach the top of the mountain and sit at the top. I’m not happy just to be there, I want to keep climbing.
“I want to make it impossible for these other guys to reach it.”
Which means there’s even more on the line against Topuria than his belt. There’s legacy at stake too.
Because, after his first round knockout loss to Islam Makhachev in October, there are plenty of questions being asked about his title reign, his future in the sport and his status as one of the UFC’s best.
But, like Brady, it’s a situation he relishes.
“I love being in this position,” he says. “I thrive on it. There’s a lot of questions being asked about my age, but they’ll all stop next week.
“I want to be better than the last time I stepped in there. Well…it’ll be pretty easy to better than the very last time I was in there.
“But don’t be surprised if he’s shocked, embarrassed and humbled. He’s a good fighter, but don’t be surprised if I make it look easy.”
While the quest to win the title might have fuelled his rise to the top, Volkanovski looks closer to home, at his wife and three daughters, for inspiration these days.
He doesn’t get caught up in the trappings of his success, despite his flying visit to speak with Brady, or the Lake Tahoe holiday he spent with Mark Zuckerberg last year.
He trains, fights, does a few appearances, and hangs out at home.
“Nothing,” he says when asked what he splashes out on. “I do this for my family, and that’s that.
“Maybe after it’s all said and done, we can splash out more, but for now, I’m trying to mould my kids into good, independent women.
“I want to make sure they’re set for life, but I want them to earn what’s theirs as well. That’s all that matters.
“That’s why, with Tom Brady, I went there after training for one night and I was back the next day at training.
“People saw me on Instagram with Mark Zuckerberg, but the next day I was back home being dad.
“I’m a champion in the cage, but I’m just a regular bloke at home, and that’s what keeps me grounded. You just don’t see that version of me (on social media), but all I do is that.
“That’s when I’m the best version of myself.”
Those changing motivations explain Volkanovski’s decision to fight Makhachev on just 11 days’ notice last year too.
At 35, he knows his days in the sport are limited, and wants to make sure he doesn’t waste any time – even if it means fighting the number two ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world on extremely short notice.
“I want to stay active, because I don’t know how long I’ve got in this, and I’m aware of it,” he says. “I feel great, but, how long are you gonna feel great for?
“I don’t want to wait around for six months.
“That’s why fighting is so simple, it’s to keep me active and being the best version of myself and the best father I can be.”
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