Sam Bruce
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- Sam was introduced up on lengthy drives and the dusty fields of north-west New South Wales, the place he developed his love of rugby from an early age. He joined ESPN after a five-year stint heading up Fox Sports Australia’s digital rugby protection.
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UFC Fight Night 121 shouldn’t be a card fondly recalled in MMA circles, not to mention for the ten,021 followers who travelled to Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday Nov. 19, 2017.
The occasion, it appeared, was doomed nearly from the outset. Whether it was heavyweight Mark Hunt’s withdrawal from the primary occasion resulting from “medical concerns” or Joanne Calderwood’s scratching due to an “undisclosed injury”, a doping violation for The Ultimate Fighter Series: Redemption winner Jesse Taylor, after which 4 separate weight misses on the cardboard’s eve, UFC Fight Night Sydney had greater than its justifiable share of missteps.
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And that’s earlier than you think about the comical boomerang incident involving substitute headliner Fabricio Werdum and visitor fighter Colby Covington, which later noticed the Brazilian charged with frequent assault and fined $[AUD]600.
Then got here the 13 fights, all however two of which went the gap, setting a brand new mark for the longest UFC occasion of all time with 3:04:18 precise struggle time, a document that stood for over two-and-a-half years till it was eclipsed at UFC 251.
There have been nonetheless a few moments to excite the native followers, together with Tai Tuivasa’s sensational flying knee KO of Rashad Coulter, and Alexander Volkanovski’s full domination of Shane Young.
Now, 2996 days on from that elegant win, Volkanovski will on Sunday [AEDT, Saturday night ET] finally stroll out for a long-awaited title struggle in entrance of his residence followers.
“Man, you barely remember those days, you’re like ‘far out, that was early in my career’, how far I have come from then, you know it’s pretty crazy,” Volkanovski tells ESPN. “I’ve at least been to these events that they had here in Sydney, so whenever there’s a UFC event in Australia I’m at least always there, so I’m always making sure I’m supporting the event and helping in whatever way I can and enjoying the atmosphere.
“But this time I get to attempt to carry that environment… I need to carry out the power, now we have an awesome efficiency after which, , even simply the walkout and all that, we have seen how that was in Perth [UFC 284] final time I used to be capable of struggle right here in Australia, so you possibly can solely think about how it is going to be right here in Sydney.
Alexander Volkanovski catches his breath after his struggle with Shane Young at UFC Fight Night Sydney, November 19, 2017 Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
“I didn’t get to have that [energy] last time I fought in Sydney because I wasn’t as recognised as I am now. But we’re in a great position now, the support’s never been better and now I get to give back to all the fans that have been supporting me from day one, and even everyone from back in Wollongong and everything, they’re all going to be there, so to be able to put a show on for them is going to be incredible.”
As Volkanovski says, he hasn’t fought on residence soil since UFC 284; his unanimous resolution defeat by Islam Makhachev in 2023 will dwell lengthy within the reminiscence, regardless of the very fact the outcome didn’t go the Australian’s approach.
But Sunday’s struggle with Brazilian Diego Lopes hits totally different.
This is Volkanovski’s residence state, with Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena only a brief drive from his hometown in Wollongong, whereas the push to throw down within the Harbour City has been nearly as difficult as going 5 rounds with Makhachev.
Part of that, after all, is all the way down to timing — which does not at all times align within the dynamic world of the UFC. The COVID-19 pandemic, which noticed Volkanovski spend a number of weeks in lodge quarantine, additionally meant Volkanovski needed to hold travelling abroad after which sit via a fortnight’s lodge quarantine, as was Australia’s coverage on the time.
Volkanovski sniffed a possibility to struggle in Sydney originally of final yr after shedding his belt to Ilia Topuria, however once more the UFC stars didn’t align and disappointingly, for the house followers not less than, Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland headlined UFC 312.
Given the eight-year wait to see their favorite UFC cost in motion, Volkanovski is determined to place on a present for his residence followers, even when it may not add to his profession resume.
“We know he’s [Lopes] going to bring it, we know it’s an exciting fight; a lot of people might have wanted to see me against [Movsar] Evloev, undefeated guy, maybe for legacy reasons and people that are in the know,” Volkanovski tells ESPN.
Alexander Volkanovski [L] and Diego Lopes meet in the primary occasion at UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
“But then you’ve got everyone that still just want to watch me fight, they’re like ‘oh this is going to be exciting, the last [against Lopes] one was exciting, now we get to have this in Sydney’. So I think they’re all in for a treat, but yeah, obviously legacy-wise, having a rematch against someone I just beat, is it going to be doing so much for my legacy? Probably not.”
A case then of getting little to achieve and all the things to lose? It’s a query that Volkanovski admits is on the cash, however one he counters with the idea that he can use this struggle as a springboard, {that a} second dominant exhibiting and victory over Lopes, six years his junior, will function a reminder to those that hope to unseat him on the prime of the featherweights.
He says he might be a unique fighter to the one who triumphed 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 on the judges’ scorecards in Miami.
“With how I’m approaching this, I wish I could have approached [like] this in other fights,” Volkanovski explains. “I’ve been very successful through my career. But yeah, how can I say it, I’m a very strategic fighter.
“There [are] instances the place it is like ‘I’ll do that and oh, okay, let’s not waste power right here, let’s go right here, let’s go there’. Very calculated that approach. Whereas 1769556668 I really feel like I do not should be that calculated. You can bulldoze these guys… you ain’t getting drained. Why are you not simply bulldozing these guys if you really can? I really feel like I might have executed this to all of my opponents. Proper bulldoze them.
“[I want to] go straight through these guys. And that’s what I plan on doing this time. I’m gonna go straight through this guy [Lopes].”
Does he count on Lopes to return armed with a unique technique than the all-out assault that failed final April?
“What would he have learned [from the first fight]? Is he going to try and be more patient and try and out-strategise me and all that? I don’t think so. I mean, that’s not how he fights and that’s just going to work in my favour,” Volkanovski says.
Alexander Volkanovski can have his first struggle in Sydney since 2017 when he faces Diego Lopes at UFC 325 Mark Metcalfe/Zuffa LLC
“I think he needs to be the same guy, maybe just do a couple things better, be that little bit better at; if you’re going to come forward be a little bit better cutting off and whatnot, I’m expecting him to at least make some adjustments like that.
“But it is going to be the identical Diego. I do not suppose an excessive amount of extra goes to alter, he’ll carry the struggle and that is why the followers know they’re in for a deal with, he’ll be that man each single time, he is coming to take my head off. Bring it on, however simply bear in mind if you try this, you are in place for me to take yours off, too.”
While focused on Lopes, Volkanovski can’t help but look ahead to what 2026 might deliver. He says a short turnaround is possible, while the highly anticipated Whitehouse card also holds strong appeal. The timing there, providing he is victorious on Sunday, would work, too.
But there is also the reality that one punch could end it all on Sunday. Still, he continues to lap up the constant dialogue that, at 37, he is on borrowed time inside the Octagon.
“I’m glad to speak about it [age], lots of people are like, why does he hold citing that he is 37 years outdated? I find it irresistible. Again, I need that stress. I need folks pondering I’m outdated. I’m outdated. But I’m nonetheless higher than these guys and I’ll present you… I believe I can actually, actually bulldoze these guys, so let’s do it.”
If defeat does come at UFC 325, then Volkanovski’s UFC legacy is safe regardless. A two-time champion, with 5 featherweight title defences to his identify, Volkanovski has endeared himself to the UFC world each inside and out of doors the Octagon.
He has nothing left to show.
But having the belt wrapped round his waist in Sydney, in entrance of so lots of his nearest and dearest, after eight years of ready, could be one thing really particular — each for Volkanovski and all those that noticed him dominate Shane Young on an in any other case lengthy afternoon in 2017.
