Alexander Volkanovski: If Frankie Edgar gives Max Holloway problems, I'll be a 'f***ing nightmare'
Abhinav Kini
Combat sports fan who loves a good lead elbow.
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Despite initially being annoyed at being skipped over for a title shot, featherweight contender Alexander Volkanovski is excited by the UFC 240 matchup between Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar.
Holloway and Edgar will look to collide for the third time in the main event of UFC 240 on July 27 after their previous two meetings were called off.
Edgar can cause problems
While many would have previously bet the house on Holloway, the champion's recent loss to Dustin Poirier at lightweight makes things a bit more interesting.
And if "The Answer" remains competitive even after just two fights since the beginning of 2018, Volkanovski anticipates problems for Holloway, particularly given the difference in styles.
"It's going to be a good matchup," Volkanovski told The Body Lock's John Hyon Ko. "So a lot of people are writing Frankie off. You know, again, he hasn't fought so regularly lately. You don't know whether he's fallen off that much since that last one [against Cub Swanson in April 2018], and he's not getting any younger. But, if he's still competitive and still in good nick, this is a whole different challenge for Max.
"I still think he [Edgar] can create problems. Especially with the pace. Especially with the pace that Max brings, Frankie can deal with that. Frankie doesn't have problems with a high pace fight like that. He's been in many of them high pace fights, he likes being in the pocket when the going gets tough. When Max really wants to pour it on, and a lot of people struggle with that, Frankie has the takedowns to slow him down and keep Max hesitant and then he can deal with that sort of pace anyway. It's a different matchup for Max than what he's used to lately, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens with that. Again, like I've been telling people, if Frankie creates problems for Max, I'm going to be a fucking nightmare for him."
Win over Holloway would define legacy
Many were expecting Volkanovski to get the next crack at Holloway. After all, the Aussie remains undefeated in the UFC and is coming off career-defining wins over Chad Mendes and former kingpin Jose Aldo.
However, it seems like "The Great" will now get the winner of UFC 240's main event. He doesn't mind facing either competitor, but explained why he would prefer for Holloway to remain the champion.
"I'm not too fussed who wins, I'd be happy for both of them," Volkanovski added. "But personally, I'd rather – in a selfish sort of way – that Max wins because that's a bigger fight for me. You take out Max and as I've been saying for a while, you take out Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo and then Max Holloway, then you're one of the best to ever do it in the featherweight division.
"For the legacy and to build my brand and my name, taking out Max right now is just absolutely huge. Getting the win off Frankie and then take him out, he's [Holloway] back in the winner's circle, people are talking about him and people are trying to say he's unbeatable again. I'll take him out and silence everyone else and then I'm right up there."
And if that were the case, Volkanovski would more than entertain the prospect of defending his title against former featherweight champion Conor McGregor.
You can see the full interview below:
Alexander Volkanovski welcomes Conor McGregor matchup: 'I'm a similar style to Khabib when it comes to the ground'
Alexander Volkanovski: "Pound-for-pound, I'm the strongest fighter in the UFC"
Abhinav Kini June 24, 2019