Alexander Volkanovski believes he is a nightmare matchup for Diego Lopes following their rematch at UFC 325.
He successfully defended his featherweight title against Lopes in Sydney, with the bout playing out in a manner similar to their first meeting the previous year.
The 31-year-old Brazilian had a chance to set the record straight and even up the score, though not everyone was on board with how this one got put together.
Despite previously commending Lopes’ progress, ‘The Great’ maintained that his opponent faced an inherently difficult challenge when they fought in Sydney earlier this month.
Alexander Volkanovski believes he poses a difficult stylistic challenge for Diego Lopes
Volkanovski seems to think Lopes’ title hopes were always going to be limited by the matchup, no matter how much had changed between their two fights.
Before UFC 325, the Brazilian fighter admitted this could be his final shot at the 145-pound belt, especially against an opponent who already held a win over him.
And speaking on the MightyCast, ‘The Great’ pointed out that it was not just about physical skills – it was also the way their styles interacted that gave him an advantage.
He said to Demetrious Johnson: “I feel bad because I’m probably the worst possible matchup for the guy just because of my IQ and my footwork and whatnot that he just couldn’t handle.
“So, now he’s pretty much wasted his chance at the title against me in a quick turnaround where I was probably the only guy that can do 50 minutes and just have him not knowing what’s going on.”
Volkanovski believes the swift turnaround for the rematch, occurring less than a year after the initial bout, ultimately did not benefit Lopes, even though it offered him a chance at redemption.
The 37-year-old champion noted that his task was significantly simplified on both occasions because his opponent failed to effectively cut off the Octagon, an obvious area for the Brazilian to focus on for improvement.
“It was literally like he was told to be patient and use his jab but there was no actual strategy behind it… Hearing him say that he’s grown so much, I’m looking at him like you haven’t,” he stated.
“I don’t mean this in a bad way I just mean you haven’t showed me any improvement. I felt like what you did in the first fight was better than that.”
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