Ex-UFC champ says Alexander Volkanovski making a big mistake playing backup for UFC 280
Henry Cejudo is giving Alexander Volkanovski a phrase of caution approximately his choice to be the backup fighter for Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev.
Oliveira and Makhachev are vying for the vacant UFC light-weight championship at UFC 280, however if some thing is going incorrect with both fighter earlier than the pay-per-view event, Volkanovski will fill in immediately. The `Great` has spoken approximately turning into the subsequent two-department champion withinside the UFC, so he seized the ability possibility to achieve this as soon as he become cleared to go back from injury. However, now no longer all of us agreed together along with his choice to be the backup fighter.
In an eight-minute video uploaded to his professional YouTube channel, Cejudo defined why Volkanovski become creating a mistake.
“A lot of you men are going to suppose I`m being a hater, however I`m going to inform you why that is a mistake for Alexander Volkanovski,” stated Cejudo. “Alexander Volkanovski: Number 1, you`re going to get that 2d name shot. If the UFC showed to you that you`re the subsequent individual in line to combat for the light-weight name, why don`t you simply wait? If for a few cause, Charles Oliveira pulls out of the combat — due to the fact that`s the simplest man that might actually pull out of the combat due to weight issues, or X, Y and Z of now no longer making weight. That being stated, let`s say hypothetically, in case you have been to combat a man like Islam Makhachev, that`s the worst match-up that you can ever pick.
“Islam Makhachev, in case you need to name him a one-trick pony, however that one trick-pony of what he does, in which you`ve by no means been and at the same time as a man with the power, electricity and weight that he has on pinnacle of you, it`s now no longer a clever idea, Alexander,” persisted Cejudo.
Cejudo additionally defined what Volkanovski might be risking have to he undergo together along with his flow from featherweight to light-weight proper now. For `Triple C,` the reigning UFC featherweight champion has loads greater to lose than advantage in phrases of his legacy and pound-for-pound status. Alexander Volkanovski
“For me, I might by no means be a alternative fighter,” stated Cejudo. “You realize why? Because I take my credentials too serious, as I have to. I take my career, my legacy too serious, as I have to. Why don`t you simply wait? Fight someone in February. I realize someone, he`s speakme proper here. But I get it. More than likely, they`re now no longer going to present it to me. It`s the identical cause why I`m going to combat my manner back. I`m going to combat you after which we are able to settle the score. But that being stated, I suppose you shouldn`t be doing such things as this.
Ex-UFC champ says Alexander Volkanovski making a big mistake playing backup for UFC 280
“Because the easy reality is, while you combat for a double name, you have to take a while,” persisted Cejudo. “Taking a while is the exceptional issue you can do due to the fact proper now, you`re now no longer giving your self a fighter`s chance. You`re simply combating to look, `Okay, I`m going to combat and I`m going to look if I may want to win.` Not simplest will you lose, however you`ll additionally lose your pound-for-pound status. And if you have that pound-for-pound status, despite the fact that it`s voted via way of means of those rattling analysts who’ve by no means fought of their lives, however I will say you’re pound-for-pound proper now. You will lose that.”
Volkanovski these days notched his fourth consecutive protection with a unanimous choice over Max Holloway of their trilogy combat at UFC 276 this beyond July.
