UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski feels his upcoming fight against the "Korean Zombie" is personal.
Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against Chan Sung Jung at UFC 273 on Apr. 9 at the Vystar Veteran Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. While Volkanovski feels disappointed that UFC replaced Holloway due to injury, he looks forward to settling his feud with Jung.
Alexander Volkanovski Discusses Upcoming Chan Sung Jung Fight
Volkanovski appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani recently to discuss his upcoming bout against Jung. Jung had previously called Volkanovski's title reign "shameful" after his split-decision win over Halloway at UFC 251 on July 11, 2020 and believed he could beat the champion without needing the judges. The featherweight titleholder later responded to Jung's remarks. (h/t MMA Fighting).
"Of course. It is," Volkanovski replied when asked if the matchup is personal. "There was a time where he, I guess, decided to play the heel or his manager, or someone did anyway. And he was there calling us out and saying some things. So yeah, there is a bit of history there. You've got to remember, that was before—that's why he was fighting for that No. 1 contender when Brian [Ortega] and him fought, so it shows you that he was close to that title shot, but it didn't go his way, so that's why I fought Brian.
"Now, he went back and did what he had to do. And he's lucky—obviously, if Max didn't pull out, none of these guys would be getting the opportunity maybe. We don't know, but that's what happened. So I want to fight, and the UFC wanted us to still fight, so we all agreed that Zombie was the guy to do it with. Again, there is a bit of history. He's an OG of the division. So let's make that happen."
Jung became a top contender after he won his previous fight against Dan Ige on Jun. 19, 2021, and has won three out of his last four contests.
Volkanovski is undefeated in the UFC and has won 20 fights in a row. Volkanovski's win streak also includes his most recent title defense against Brian Ortega at UFC 266.
The UFC may not have initially wanted Volkanovski vs. Jung, but the champion's animosity could help make the fight intriguing to promote.
What do you think about Alexander Volkanovski's comments?