Alexander Volkanovski said limiting damage was central to his approach as he defended his title against Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 325 in Sydney this past weekend.
The bout marked Volkanovski’s second victory over top contender Lopes and came at a significant moment in his career, with the Australian having faced increased scrutiny following recent defeats to Islam Makhachev to Ilia Topuria.
“I mean, yeah, we were going to find it out. Obviously, we wanted to take it down and the idea was the main focus take minimal damage. You know what I mean? 37 year old man, I don’t need to be taking damage,” Volkanovski told reporters, including The Mac Life, post-fight.
“You know, the first fight we had, I was in a lot of pain. You know, I wanted to have a quick turnaround, and I couldn’t because there was a lot of things, you know, that I had to recover from in that fight.”
He said the win carried added importance given his age and the setting. “You know, yeah, so it’s all good. You know, I was there… just to go out there and do what I did. You know, again at this age, 37 years old, just to win, right, is an awesome feeling. Then to do it here in Sydney… not only that, to defend your belt at 37 here in Sydney in front of your family and friends, it’s incredible,” he said.
Volkanovski later expanded on why managing damage has become a key factor in his decision-making. “I mean, minimal damage, right? Like that’s what I mean. Like still, you still landed some shots. Like I don’t want my family have to see me taking too much damage. It’s going to come down to that as well. How much damage we’re taking,” he said.
The champion also addressed speculation that the Sydney fight could signal retirement. “Obviously, there’s going to be damage in the gym as well, but we’ll see. So, we’ll just keep going. Obviously, feel great and we’re, you know, as I told you my plans weren’t to retire after this one. A lot of people thought, oh, Sydney is going to be his moment to hang the gloves, but nah, we’re all good. We’ll keep going,” he said.
