American UFC lightweight Michael Chandler was full of praise for Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski, and said he would love the chance to fight the featherweight champion should he move up a weight class.
“Volkanovski’s the man,” Chandler told Wide World of Sports.
“I watch every single one of his fights, I’m a fan of him and his fight style. And his words are true – he’s cleaned out the division, he’s lapping people, and there’s not a ton of fights for him necessarily at 145 so I guess we’ll see.”
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Volkanovski has in the past expressed interest in moving up a weight class, having proven repeatedly over the past few years that he’s the best in the world in his division.
Much like the historical figure from whom he draws his nickname, when it comes to the featherweight division, Volkanovski has no worlds left to conquer.
“Obviously he used to weigh 200-and-something pounds when he was a rugby player, so he’s got the power. I’m sure he would love to not have to make 145, and fight at 155, so we’ll see,” Chandler said.
“Like I said, I’m a fan of his. I like to watch him, I can learn and emulate some of the things that he does in there. We have similar body types and fighting styles, so we’ll see what the future holds.”
The 35-year-old American will fight former champion Tony Ferguson on the undercard of UFC 274, with two other lightweights – champion Charles Oliveira and number one contender Justin Gaethje – facing off for the title on a card that also includes a women’s strawweight championship match between Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza.
Since moving to the UFC from Bellator last year, Chandler has had three extremely entertaining fights, against both of the men fighting for the title, as well as New Zealand’s Dan Hooker.
His slugfest with Gaethje last November, which he lost by decision, won ‘Fight of the Year’ honours in numerous publications.
“You’re going to lose fights, and sometimes numerous fights, because these are the best guys in the world,” he said.
“I left the relative security of being the big fish in the small pond and being the face of an organisation to come in here and make a splash straight away – not tiptoe around with guys outside the top 10.
“You’ve seen my strength of schedule, and when you talk about resumes, there’s not a lot of guys who’ve been this welcoming of a hard transition like I have, and I take pride in that.”
Chandler will no doubt have one eye on that title fight, with another potential title shot in the offing should he be victorious against Ferguson.
“There’s not an MMA fan alive that doesn’t want to see me fight Charles Oliveira again, or especially Justin Gaethje again,” he said.
“I can’t focus too far on the future, but I know I’ve got some big fights ahead of me. I know Conor’s coming back too, and I think I’d be a great opponent for him.”
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