Volkanovski equals record with UFC title defence
Adrian Warren |
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski would love to fight in Australia again after a triumphant homecoming on a record-setting day.
A patient Volkanovski tied Brazilian legend and old victim Jose Aldo on eight featherweight title wins as he produced another commanding display of fight nous in recording a unanimous points win over Brazilian Diego Lopes.
“I want to keep winning, keep getting good pay cheques, that’s going to build the legacy. I’m not trying to outdo Aldo,” Volkanovski said.
Two judges scored Sunday’s fight 49-46 and the third one 50-45, as Volkanovski showed he still had plenty in the tank, after repeatedly denying retirement rumours in the lead-up to the fight.
Fighting in front of a Sydney crowd for the first time in over eight years, the 37-year-old New South Welshman rarely looked in trouble.
The fight at Qudos Bank Arena drew a capacity crowd of 18,102 and grossed $14,433,052, the most for a UFC indoor event in Australia.
“To be able to fight here again in Australia would be incredible,” Volkanovski said after picking up a Fight of the Night bonus.
“When you get turnouts like that I think the UFC would love to bring it back.”
Respecting his.opponent’s power, Volkanovski showed his renowned tactical sense, utilising movement well and rarely allowed the hard-hitting Brazilian to tag him.
Volkanovski consistently landed right hand punches to the head and his left jab also found the target frequently.
While Lopes had a couple of good moments, knocking the Australian down once and briefly getting him to the ground on another occasion, Volkanovski was arguably even more dominant than in their first fight last April, when he won the vacant title.
Lopes stuffed several takedown attempts through the first four rounds and while he also landed some kicks couldn’t put the more accurate Australian under sustained pressure.
Volkanovski played to the noisy and parochial crowd in the closing seconds when it was clear he would win.
“To defend your belt at 37 here in Sydney in front of your family and friends is incredible,” Volkanovski said.
“I definitely thought I could have done more in there. I felt like I was being patient, just picking my shots.”
In a co-main event between ranked lightweights, No.8 Benoit Saint Denis of France scored a second round TKO over No.6, Dan Hooker of New Zealand.
Of the 11 Australians in action, seven won.
Perth’s Quillan Salkilld called for a ranked opponent after securing his fourth UFC win inside 12 months with an impressive first-round submission of more experienced compatriot Jamie Mullarkey.
Other Australian winners were Dom Mar Fan, who won the Road to the UFC lightweight final, featherweight Kaan Ofli, welterweight, Jonathan Micallef and middleweights Jacob Malkoun and Cam Rowston.
Salkilld and Brazilian lightweight Mauricio Ruffy, who stopped higher-ranked Rafael Fiziev of Azerbaijan, won Performance of the Night bonuses.
Popular Sydney heavyweight Tai Tuivasa suffered a sixth straight loss, despite landing some big shots in the third round of his unanimous decision points loss to Brazilian Tallison Teixeira.
AAP
