Get ready, UFC fans! Alexander Volkanovski is prepping for his face-off with Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC 298 come February 17. Doesn’t seem to be anything stopping him.
So, what’s new with Alexander? Well, a recent post on his YouTube channel tells us he’s back in the ring, sparring, after successfully clearing concussion protocols. Recall that he had a pretty nasty head-kick knockout at the hands of Islam Makhachev during UFC 294 back in October. There was bit of a worry then; some felt he may be rushing his comeback. Turns out, he managed to turn that defeat around and jump back into the game at his own pace.
Volkanovski appeared to be in good spirits as he updated fans on his progress. He told viewers, “Just had my first spar,” and confirmed that he’s now in full training-mode. “So, followed all the protocols to a tee, no symptoms, kept it rolling, kept it rolling. Felt real good. No knocks, no symptoms still. So, we’re rolling. We’re going to keep this baby rolling. Very, very happy with it.”
The UFC champion gave credit to his support system, including his team, training partners, and medical professionals. In his own words, “Very thankful for the team behind me … and all my training partners … my doctors, as well, they’ve literally dealt with thousands of concussions, so they made sure I followed [protocols] to a tee. Mate, I feel great, was able to train the whole way through, so I haven’t lost too much fitness, which is good. We’ve still got plenty of time before we even get into camp. Now I get to ease back into a full training schedule.”
The featherweight showdown will go down at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. For those keeping score, “The Great” is undefeated at 145 pounds in the Octagon. Just look at his third-round TKO of Yair Rodriguez in his most recent belt defense at UFC 290 this past July. Looks like fight night on February 17th is shaping up to be a nail-biter!