Most men spend a lifetime preparing for the chance to win a UFC title. Alex Volkanovski has just 11 days after accepting a short-notice rematch with Russia's Islam Makhachev.
Last time, Alex Volkanovski gave himself months to prepare to scale the mountain that is Russia's Islam Makhachev. This time, if he wants to win a UFC title in a second weight division and cement his place as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, he's got 11days.
Volkanovski's decision to step in for injured title challenger Charles Olivieria has accelerated what all fight fans knew was coming. On that night, Volkanovski delivered a comprehensive beatdown en route to a third round knockout. It was devastating, brutal and precise but also perfunctory. There are challenges for Volkanovski in his natural weight class — a January clash with top contender Ilia Topuria was slated for January and it would have been the Windang man's greatest challenge for some time in the division he has ruled for years – but Makhachev is something different.
This won't be on home soil but in Abu Dhabi, where Makhachev enjoys a strong following. Instead of having a full training camp to acclimatise to Makhachev's skill set and to reform his body to the demands of a higher weight class, Volkanovski has a week and change.The shortest notice replacement to win a UFC title is Michael Bisping, who shocked the world with his knockout of Luke Rockhold in 2016 to claim middleweight gold after accepting the fight 17 days before. It was herculean.
It's an image that sticks in the mind of every witness of the fight. Imagine how it must be if you were right in the middle and felt the dominance of that moment, only to lose it when the cards were read out moments later.
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