WATCH: A 214-pound Alexander Volkanovski slams his opponent in rugby
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Alexander Volkanovski as a 200-pounder
It is truly astonishing to believe that a 145-pounder like Alexander Volkanovski used to weigh over 200 pounds being only 5 feet 6 inches tall. The Australian elite MMA fighter was not always into fighting inside the octagon, he also had acquired an interest in slamming his opponents on the rugby field.
Alexander Volkanovski is undoubtedly one of the greatest featherweight fighters to grace the UFC octagon. Many in the fight world believe that the Australian fighter is the greatest featherweight that the world has seen. His accomplishments in the sport of mixed martial arts are truly something to marvel at. Like any other fighter in MMA, the champion cuts a lot of weight to shrink to 145-pounds during weigh-ins.
The champ has never found it hard during his weight cuts. This won’t seem like a huge accomplishment until you stumble upon the fact that “The Great” Volkanovski was actually a jacked rugby player in Australia who weighed over 200 pounds. The fighter is only 5’6” and still managed to carry all that weight. Watch the below clip from Volkanovski’s rugby days where he slams his opponent trying to slip away on the field.
Can Alexander Volkanovski handle the lightweight division?
Alexander Volkanovski with his recent performance at UFC 276 has shown the world that he is too much for the featherweight division to handle. The fighter has five title defenses under his belt and has beaten Max Holloway, who ranks high, not only in the featherweight division but also on the pound-for-pound rankings, thrice. There is no better way of showing dominance than beating the number one guy in your division thrice.
After his stunning accomplishments in the featherweight division, Volkanovski believes he has earned his shot at becoming a two-division champion. The fighter has expressed that his next fight will be for the lightweight title and it seems like the promotion won’t be coming in the way of “The Great” Alex Volkanovski’s ambition.
However, the biggest question is if Volkanovski can handle the size of fighters in the top tier of the lightweight division. Like Volkanovski, there are a lot of potential title contenders in the 155-pound division who are way bigger for their weight class. However, given Alexander’s past, it is not a wild claim to suggest that the former-200-pounder can handle the likes of lightweight fighters. What are your thoughts?
Also read “Make the jump” – Henry Cejudo urges P4P king Kamaru Usman to fight at light heavyweight
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Prateek Athanur
(2944 Articles Published)