‘I want to be the GOAT’: Alex Volkanovski’s ‘scary’ warning to UFC world

Aussie Alex Volkanovski is so determined to cement his legacy he has boldly declared he wants to be the greatest the UFC has ever seen.

Australian UFC star Alex Volkanovski wants to be the greatest fighter the sport has ever seen.

In September last year, the featherweight champion successfully defended his belt against Brian Ortega in an epic fight that catapulted him into stardom and made the UFC masses sit up and take notice.

Ortega had Volkanovski in a tight guillotine choke hold and the Aussie’s head was turning purple, but he miraculously wriggled free and went on to win the fight.

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So you could forgive Volkanovski for resting on his laurels after one of the highlight of his career.

But that’s not in his nature. The 33-year-old has no intentions of slowing down and wants to contest three fights this year.

Volkanovski had been set for a blockbuster trilogy fight against Max Holloway but he had to look for another opponent after his longtime rival pulled out of the bout with an undisclosed injury.

Instead he’ll take on Chan Sung Jung, aka the Korean Zombie, at UFC 273 on April 9 and Volkanovski is chomping at the bit to get back in the octagon.

“I’m definitely keen to get in there,” he told news.com.au.

“I want to get in there and do my thing and get another ruby on that belt. Because I want to squeeze in three fights this year if I can. That’s my goal this year.”

When asked if it would be harder to motivate himself for this fight after the high of the win over Ortega, a nonplussed Volkanovski responded: “Nah man, not at all.

Volkanovsk’s win over Brian Ortega was arguably the highlight of his career. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

“I can’t wait for this next one. Purely to get me back in there, full stadium, get the crowd screaming and roaring. I want to be in there entertaining.

“If anything, it (the Ortega fight) was something good for me. I really enjoyed that. Being in the position I am now, I’m a calculated fighter and I’m a competitor but at the same time I’ve got this confidence right now where I can obviously be calculated but really pour it on.

“With someone with the style like Zombie’s, I really think this is going to be very exciting.

“So I can’t wait to go out there and really steal the moment again and have a big fight and entertain. Like I said last fight, I just want everyone leaving their lounge rooms and that arena just in awe of how the fight was and that performance was.

“So that’s exactly what I’m looking forward to doing. So if anything, it’s just made me more motivated to just put on a show.”

Volkanovski may be in his thirties but his hunger to compete and defend his title is stronger than its ever been.

“I’m getting older but I’m getting through these workouts even easier,” he said.

“It’s weird, I’m cruising through these hard workouts at the moment. When we talk about physical peak, I think I’m there right now and I’ve got the experience.

He said he has never been so invested in the analytical side of training, as he prepares to deal with whatever situation he faces in the octagon.

The UFC featherweight champ is more driven than ever.

“I’ve always had an understanding of the game, I always knew where to be but I’m just loving the dive in to breaking things down,” Volkanovski said.

“I’m really loving that right now and that’s what’s motivating me. It’s hard to explain but I’m just on a whole other level of in-depth visions, the way I look about fighting. I’ve always been that way as a competitor and I’ve always done that in the heat of the moment but right now, just the understanding I have, it’s pretty incredible.

“I didn’t think I could understand more about the game than I did last year but every month I’m learning more and more about myself, my own style and the game.

“So it’s pretty scary for all the people that are going to face me in the next few fights. But I mean that’s what’s motivates me.”

Volkanovski is at the top of his game and declared in no uncertain terms he wants to become the greatest UFC fighter of all time.

“We talk about goals, right,” he said.

“I want to be the GOAT, not just the featherweight goat. I want to be the GOAT of the UFC,” he said.

Alex Volkanovski wants to be the GOAT of UFC. Photo: Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images/AFP

“The sky’s the limit. There’s going to be a lot of little goals you’ve got to tick off along the way. My goal right now is to be the GOAT of the featherweight division and take out these featherweight fighters.”

His dreams don’t stop there. Volkanovski also wants to become champion of the heavier lightweight division and become a rare double UFC champion.

Only five other fighters in the UFC’s history — Conor McGregor, George St-Pierre, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Heney Cejudo — have been champions of two divisions.

Volkanovski’s goal is “not only go there to get that double champ status, I want to be very competitive in that lightweight division too”.

“I’m not just going, ‘I want to take out that double champ and then see you later’,” he said.

“I want to hold both belts and be a double champ for a while and really earn that GOAT status.

“Again, we’ve got goals and right now I’ve got a couple of little goals in front of me and then we’ll move on to those goals very soon. I don’t think it’s too far away.”

First he must defeat Jung, who is nicknamed the Korean Zombie because he is so difficult to finish off.

Volkanovski’s next assignment is to beat Chan Sung Jung at UFC 273. Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

“This is another guy I’ve always wanted to fight,” Volkanovski said.

“There’s a little bit of history there because he has said some things. He was the No. 1 contender, he was right up there and he was going to fight (Brian) Ortega and there was some words said that he was being a little vocal and wanted to play heel for a little bit. So there is a bit of history there.

“Not just that, he’s an OG of the sport. He’s been around, everybody knows him. He has the iconic fights, iconic song walkouts, all that type of stuff. It is definitely a legacy fight.

“I think it’ll be an exciting fight. But he hasn’t had someone like me in front of him.

“That type of style, walking forward then trying to slow me down obviously isn’t going to work. I make people pay and I make them pay big when they slip up and give me easy options and easy openings.

“I feel like he might have some plans. I’m going to change that quick smart and do my thing.

“That’s what I do to everyone that stands in front of me and I don’t think anything changes.”

“It’s going to be a fun fight. I’m looking forward to this one. He does have an exciting style. “He’s going to bring it. So that’s going to be an exciting one for the fans.”