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The Joe Rogan ExperienceThe Joe Rogan Experience

JRE MMA Show #93 with Alexander Volkanovski

Joe sits down with UFC Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Alexander VolkanovskiguestJoe RoganhostGuest (secondary, likely another person in studio)guest
Mar 11, 20201h 43mWatch on YouTube ↗

EVERY SPOKEN WORD

  1. 0:00 – 0:38

    Volkanovski adjusts to life as UFC champ (Australia fame & media obligations)

    1. AV

      ... to the left, and... Okay.

    2. JR

      No, here we go. Three, two, one. The champ is here! How are you, sir?

    3. AV

      I'm good, I'm good. How are you?

    4. JR

      Pull this, uh, sucker up about, like, a-

    5. AV

      Get closer?

    6. JR

      Yeah.

    7. AV

      Okay.

    8. JR

      Like, a fist from your face is good.

    9. AV

      All right. Is that good?

    10. JR

      There you go. Good to see you, brother. What's happening?

    11. AV

      Oh, nothing much, mate. Nothing much. Just-

    12. JR

      Ha. Has it settled in that you're the champ now?

    13. AV

      Uh, yeah. Yeah.

    14. JR

      Does it still feel real or is it-

    15. AV

      Yeah, yeah. It's, it's settled in. You know what I mean? Like, it, it's weird. It's, uh, hard to explain. Like, I'm, I'm the type of person that, you know, as soon as I'm home, I'm Daddy, I'm the regular bloke that everyone knew me 10 years ago.

    16. JR

      Mm-hmm.

    17. AV

      But at the same time, obviously, you've got, you know, the, the media obligations and everything that needs to be done. So it's, uh... You know, it is different. You're gonna get recognized a little bit more on the street, but-

  2. 0:38 – 2:00

    Wollongong roots, Vegas celebration, and Rogan’s hydration rabbit hole

    1. JR

      What is it like in Australia now? Do people get excited to see you now?

    2. AV

      Yeah, yeah. Australia, you know, obviously, you know, it's where I'm from, so that's, uh... You know, the supports are big, especially where I am locally. Like, you know, every time I fight, literally, our, our, our, you know, our city, like, stops, you know, just to watch the fight.

    3. JR

      What's the city?

    4. AV

      Uh, Wollongong. The Gong.

    5. JR

      What?

    6. AV

      The Gong.

    7. JR

      Say it again?

    8. AV

      Wollongong.

    9. JR

      Wollongong?

    10. AV

      The Gong. Yes.

    11. JR

      The Gong. Where's the Gong?

    12. AV

      Yeah, w- we're called The Gong.

    13. JR

      Where?

    14. AV

      Just south of Sydney.

    15. JR

      Oh, okay.

    16. AV

      Yeah.

    17. JR

      So you're close? So you go to Sydney when you wanna get crazy?

    18. AV

      Uh, yeah, yeah. No, d- yeah, I'm... They are... You know. (laughs)

    19. JR

      (laughs)

    20. AV

      Not really. Uh, I don't, I don't do too much, uh, partying and that, except for, uh, the couple of days ago when we were in Vegas. So Vegas got me, got me good.

    21. JR

      Did it get you after Izzy won?

    22. AV

      It got me before and after, so... (laughs)

    23. JR

      (laughs)

    24. AV

      So yeah, I'm in... I'm on real struggle street-

    25. JR

      We'll-

    26. AV

      ... but, uh, we're good.

    27. JR

      Well, we'll get you some water. We got water here.

    28. AV

      Oh, yeah. Beautiful.

    29. JR

      If you need any electrolytes.

    30. AV

      Oh, yeah.

  3. 2:00 – 3:17

    Winning the belt by dethroning Max Holloway: underdog mindset and rapid UFC rise

    1. JR

      So, you know, I mean, there's becoming the champ and then there's becoming the champ the way you did.

    2. AV

      Yeah.

    3. JR

      Because you beat the consensus greatest featherweight of all time-

    4. AV

      Mm-hmm.

    5. JR

      ... in his prime, you know?

    6. AV

      Yeah.

    7. JR

      That, that's a, that's a big deal-

    8. AV

      He's, uh...

    9. JR

      ... my friend.

    10. AV

      Yeah, exactly right. You know, it's... It was huge, you know, huge for me. Obviously, I love being the underdog as well, you know. I have been in my last three fights and, you know, I love sort of proving the, the doubters wrong. You know what I mean?

    11. JR

      Yeah.

    12. AV

      And then, obviously, again, to beat him like I did as well, to, you know, outfight him, you know, outstrike him, and, and stuff like that. Again, he's a great champion, nothing but respect to him, but for me to go out there and, and do it like that, you know, I'm... That's something I'm re- very proud of.

    13. JR

      Oh, you should be.

    14. AV

      Yeah.

    15. JR

      You should be proud of your whole run, man. I mean, you haven't been in the UFC that long.

    16. AV

      Yep.

    17. JR

      It was... You know, I mean, how many years you've been in there now? Less than two.

    18. AV

      Um, I think it's, uh, two and a bit or close to three.

    19. JR

      Two and a bit? Oh, is it?

    20. AV

      Yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah.

    21. JR

      Okay.

    22. AV

      Closer for a year, but-

    23. JR

      It fee- feels like... Well, since the Chad Mendes fight, that's when people started really paying attention.

    24. AV

      That's where, yeah, things went quick. That was-

    25. JR

      That's when people were like, "Holy shit."

    26. AV

      So... Well, before that I wasn't even ranked.

    27. JR

      Right.

    28. AV

      And that's why I wanted that fi... Oh, no, no. I think I was ranked 10th maybe. Sorry. So that's why I wanted that fight, you know. I knew, I knew if I took him on, that'll get me straight to, you know, fifth rank. And then that's why I wanted to call out, you know, Aldo after that, because I knew that'll put me in a position where I could, you know, fight for the title.

    29. JR

      Yeah, yeah.

    30. AV

      Shoot for them ranks, as I always said.

  4. 3:17 – 5:24

    Why City Kickboxing works: camp structure, travel to NZ, and training with diverse styles

    1. JR

      What is going on at City Kickboxing? You need to tell me, man.

    2. AV

      Yeah.

    3. JR

      What-

    4. AV

      Yeah, well, it... That's another thing that a lot of people, uh, you- don't realize. I'm actually based in Wollongong. Like, it, that, that-

    5. JR

      Right.

    6. AV

      Yeah. But I go there for my camp.

    7. JR

      Right.

    8. AV

      So I go there a lot and, man, it's just-

    9. JR

      Do you go to one in New Zealand?

    10. AV

      Get-

    11. JR

      Or do you guys have one in Australia?

    12. AV

      No, no, no. We go to New Zealand. So-

    13. JR

      So you... How far is that flight?

    14. AV

      Uh, about two hours, two and a half hours.

    15. JR

      Okay.

    16. AV

      Yeah. But, yeah.

    17. JR

      What made you decide to make that trip?

    18. AV

      Well, I've known the guys for a long time. You know, Eugene, uh, Izzy even, and Brad Riddell. Brad Riddell was actually... When I was in Thailand, uh, you know, Tiger Muay Thai. You know, I do a bit of training out there. And, uh, he was a stra- striking coach for a while. So I was working with him a fair bit. And, uh, you know, that's when they brought Eugene and, uh, Israel, and that's when I started, like, you know, got to know them and stuff like that. And just ever since then, we've, we've always, uh, you know, sort of got along. And now we're just... You know, we're a part of, a part of the team. Me and Joe Lopez, he's my head coach, but we go there to, you know, to City Kickboxing and train with the boys. Our every camp, w- we'll go there, you know, we'll go there, uh, you know, a couple of times each camp. So I'll do, like, two, three weeks, get back to the family and train, and then go back there again for the last couple of weeks. And then I head, head to my fight, usually.

    19. JR

      And where do you train when you're home?

    20. AV

      I train at Freestyle Fighting Gym. So that's, uh, locally where I am. That's where I first... My first day ever in the gym was at that gym. So that's still where I am today as well.

    21. JR

      Oh, that's, that's awesome. So what-

    22. AV

      Yeah, it's cool.

    23. JR

      ... made you need to make a shift, though?

    24. AV

      Well-

    25. JR

      Did you need a higher level of competition to train with?

    26. AV

      Well, yeah, that's always gonna be a big part. You know, again, it's not, uh, massive, uh, right where I am. You know what I mean? We've got some, some people, but it's just, you know... We're, we're starting to get a team and that now, but that competitive sort of training partners is, is a big deal.

    27. JR

      Yeah.

    28. AV

      And my coach was always... You know, uh, Joe's always been a strong believer of, you know, training with so many different levels of, you know, styles, you know, everything. You know what I mean?

    29. JR

      That's a great coach.

    30. AV

      So, yeah.

  5. 5:24 – 6:36

    From rugby league and a heavy frame to MMA: early training and the 214-lb origin story

    1. JR

      (laughs) No worries. So, um, wh- when did you start training? What year did you start?

    2. AV

      I started... Uh, I've been doing it for about, yeah, not even 10 years, nine years. So I, I actually started, uh, MMA training c- as just a keep... to keep fit while I was playing rugby league. So I was, uh... You know, that was when I was 214 pounds. So that's something that, uh, obviously, uh, when we're... when you're... when I'm fighting and you say 240 and, and it'll slowly get- get nothing, that's like-

    3. JR

      Oh, it's your, your language. You, you guys have that Australian language.

    4. AV

      Yeah.

    5. JR

      You say things different.

    6. AV

      Yeah.

    7. JR

      214-

    8. AV

      Yeah, exactly.

    9. JR

      ... sounds like 240.

    10. AV

      Yeah, exactly.

    11. JR

      That's what it sounds.

    12. AV

      Yeah.

    13. JR

      214.

    14. AV

      Fourteen. So it's still-

    15. JR

      Well, that makes more sense-

    16. AV

      Yeah.

    17. JR

      ... but still is a ridiculous amount of weight.

    18. AV

      It's still... 100%. You know, I'm 5'6" on a good day, you know what I mean?

    19. JR

      (laughs)

    20. AV

      Give me a good stretch out, do some yoga sessions, I might make five- 5'6", but you know what I mean? It's just, uh... Yeah, I was a, you know, a lot bigger and I wanted to stay fit in between-

    21. JR

      Yeah.

    22. AV

      ... you know, in, in between, uh, like, sort of the season, preseason. So that's why I w- I went and started and just loved it ever since. So that was about, yeah, again, nine years ago.

    23. JR

      So... And how old are you now?

    24. AV

      Uh, 31.

    25. JR

      With your new hair.Look at you, you fucking gorilla.

    26. AV

      Oh, oh yeah, there you go. See?

    27. JR

      Look at the size of you.

    28. AV

      Yeah, man.

    29. JR

      Jesus Christ. You're 31 so-

    30. AV

      Look at that head.

  6. 6:36 – 16:39

    Hidden wrestling pedigree and the switch from team sport to individual accountability

    1. AV

      Um, I wrestled. So I wrestled-

    2. JR

      Oh.

    3. AV

      ... uh, before I even done rugby league, I wrestled for about probably a year. I can't even remember. It was... you know, honestly I was... I'd done it for about a year and, uh, you know, I'd done pretty good. It was something that I was a- actually pretty good at, but, you know, I wanted to play football with my mates and I got over wearing the tights, you know-

    4. JR

      (laughs)

    5. AV

      ... wrestling and stuff like that. So, uh, you know, it was just something that, you know, I ended up just playing football with my mates. So I sort of gave it up and I was actually pretty good at it. So we won the, I won the nationals like, you know. Obviously it's the wrestling is not as big in Australia as it is over here, but, you know, I still won like, you know, the Australian championship twice and stuff like that. But then I just, I just gave it up and started playing football.

    6. JR

      Interesting.

    7. AV

      Yeah.

    8. JR

      So that's crazy. So you won the Australian Nationals twice?

    9. AV

      Yes.

    10. JR

      Wow.

    11. AV

      Yeah. So that was a... Yeah, they'd have them every year, uh, just different spots-

    12. JR

      And you'd only been training for a year? You'd only done it for a year?

    13. AV

      What you're saying? Yeah, honestly, I remember we used to have a, a game night we called it at a PCYC, Police Boys Club. It's just a, a local club that usually they'll have like games nights and they had wrestling there. And, uh, I just went there one time and the, you know, the trainer was just like, "Oh, you should come and, and do training." Because I w- I was doing all right. So I just started doing it, and then I was actually pretty good. Again, I was always... like I, I literally, you know, come out the, the mother's womb like this, you know what I mean? So I've been a, I've been this big since-

    14. JR

      Stalking. (laughs)

    15. AV

      (laughs) Yeah. I've been this big or, or you know, this height and look this old like for, you know, since I was like 12. So I was always-

    16. JR

      (laughs)

    17. AV

      So I was always versing guys twice the size of me and, you know what I mean, so I was, you know, older, much older as well, and, uh, I used to do well. So that's why a lot of people, you know, thought I was mad, you know, when I gave that up because I was doing so good and then the same with the rugby league. When I played rugby league even people thought I was mad giving that up as well because that was something I was pretty good at as well.

    18. JR

      So what made you decide to make a switch to MMA professionally?

    19. AV

      Um, just my last year of football, uh, rugby league, uh, I, we, you know, we won the comp. You know, I got player of the match up, I scored a 40 meter try so you can imagine that guy running 40 meters.

    20. JR

      (laughs)

    21. AV

      Um, yeah, so it was just a, you know, it was just, yeah, a good year to finish on, you know what I mean. I had a couple of fights as well that year. So I was training at, uh, MMA and having a couple of fights while I was playing f- rugby league.

    22. JR

      Oh, really?

    23. AV

      Yeah, so that was a, a lot of training.

    24. JR

      So during the season?

    25. AV

      Yeah, yeah, during the season.

    26. JR

      So during the season you were having fights?

    27. AV

      Yes.

    28. JR

      So you'd have a game and then you'd have a fight?

    29. AV

      Yeah, yeah, pretty much.

    30. JR

      Wow.

  7. 16:39 – 18:43

    Early career lessons: first loss, grappling focus, and dropping from welterweight

    1. JR

      How many fights have you had total?

    2. AV

      Um, 20 and 1.

    3. JR

      20 and 1?

    4. AV

      21. 21 and 1? 20 and 1. I don't even know.

    5. JR

      When-

    6. AV

      Okay, 20 and 1, I think.

    7. JR

      When did you have your first loss?

    8. AV

      Uh, that was my third fight or fourth fight.

    9. JR

      Oh, so it was right after you decided to go pro. I mean, right after you decided to make that your life.

    10. AV

      Uh, oh, no, it was actually... 'Cause I had two amateur fights.

    11. JR

      Oh, okay.

    12. AV

      I know, no, that were before when I started, so when I-

    13. JR

      Oh, so the amateur fights were when you were doing rugby?

    14. AV

      Yeah, yeah.

    15. JR

      Okay.

    16. AV

      So I had four amateur fights then went pro. So I didn't have the... That was against, at the time, yeah, Corey Nelson, his name. A little shout out for Corey Nelson. Uh, but he was, uh, you know, he was a pound for pound number one. Obviously it was at welterweight this was, and, you know, it was very early in my career and I should not have took that fight, but win a tournament. And, uh, he... I had him first, so I had the favorite straight up. And again, it was in a division I probably should never have been in.

    17. JR

      Right.

    18. AV

      But, uh, you know, I took him on and, you know, I don't know, I held my own, but, you know, things didn't go well. But that was, uh, you know, we always talk about, you know, that really... things really esc-... You know, it, it went a lot better for me after that because I, I realized that he was too strong. So I start, I thought, "I have to go, you know, down or I have to start grappling as well." So that's when I actually started grappling after that. My coach was like, "All right, you got controlled a bit too much in there. Let's just do jiu-jitsu for the next three, four months or whatever it is, just straight jiu-jitsu." I had a jiu-jitsu comp and, uh, you know, I was just... See, again, I was, uh, that's when I started dieting as well. But I was, uh, I remember doing that jiu-jitsu comp and I was on the podium, I ended up getting the gold. So I was on the first podium, they're on the second and third, and they're still taller than me.

    19. JR

      (laughs)

    20. AV

      So these, you know what I mean? So these are the guys that, you know, I'm so familiar. That's why now, you know, I fight at featherweight and I, I really do look at these... Even though they still tower over me, 'cause I'm still short in my division, but I look at them and they're like, you know... I'm used to footy players, big front rowers.

    21. JR

      Right.

    22. AV

      You know, props and, and fighting middleweight and all these di- different divisions that, you know, I, I look at these, uh, you know, featherweights, I'm just like, "They're puny compared to what I'm used to." But...

    23. JR

      But that does make sense though. I mean, you fighting at 170 is crazy. I mean, that's 25 pounds heavier than what you're fighting at now.

    24. AV

      And that was at pro, and again, fighting-... the top guys.

    25. JR

      Yeah.

    26. AV

      So I fought, uh, Anton Zafir before that, and he was a UFC fighter as well, in, uh, you know, welterweight so-

  8. 18:43 – 24:15

    Injuries, weight cuts, and staph/MRSA: the dark side of extreme dieting

    1. JR

      So what did you do to drop the weight down, and what do you walk around at?

    2. AV

      Uh, now I walk around, I'm a bit heavy after, uh, after 'cause I obviously-

    3. JR

      After boozing?

    4. AV

      ... broke my hand and stuff like that. But, uh-

    5. JR

      You broke the hand the Max fight?

    6. AV

      Fi- Yes, I did, yeah. I br- I broke that in the Max fight. And-

    7. JR

      Which round?

    8. AV

      Um, I'm not too sure. I remember feeling it, and throwing, and being like, "Oh, that hurt." I think, uh, from watching back the tape, I wanted to watch back and see whe- where I noticed it. I noticed in the fifth round, that's where, um, I think it happened, 'cause you start seeing me u- Obviously on the offense, I was only using my left hand and-

    9. JR

      Mm-hmm.

    10. AV

      ... stuff like that. Obviously, if he comes at me as well, in the heat of the moment, I'd throw it, you know. So that's, uh...

    11. JR

      Right.

    12. AV

      But, uh, y- so I think it was in the, uh, early in the, the fifth round, I think.

    13. JR

      So you were walking around at now at?

    14. AV

      Yeah, I'm about 78 kilograms.

    15. JR

      What does that-

    16. AV

      So what's that? That's over 170. So, uh, what's that? 170 something, I guess, on-

    17. JR

      Jesus Christ.

    18. AV

      (laughs) That's heavy. I'm not usually, I'm usually around, yeah, maybe a couple kilos, uh, less than that usually. But the weight comes off. I hold a lot of water.

    19. JR

      165-ish? Somewhere around there?

    20. AV

      Yeah, I guess you could say that. But yeah, I, uh, took, uh, holidays there. I went hard in it, so. (laughs)

    21. JR

      Well, you should celebrate, man.

    22. AV

      That's it.

    23. JR

      It's only one time in your whole life you get to be champ for the first time.

    24. AV

      Yeah, exactly right.

    25. JR

      I mean-

    26. AV

      Exactly right.

    27. JR

      ... this is your time.

    28. AV

      But again, I didn't, you know, having the broken hand, you know.

    29. JR

      Right.

    30. AV

      I wanna train. I'm, I'm the type of, you know, try and be a, you know, I'm prof- I'm a professional, so I'll do what I can. I was still doing, uh, as many things as I could, you know, strength conditioning, building them legs, being able to just throw, you know, a shit load of left hooks and jabs. So I should-

  9. 24:15 – 30:45

    Travel, New Zealand scenery, and a deep dive into fishing and spearfishing

    1. JR

      New Zealand's a dope place to be too, man. I wanna go visit there. The f- just the beauty of it all, man.

    2. AV

      Yeah.

    3. JR

      So green.

    4. AV

      It's... Man, I, I love that type of stuff. I'm all about, you know, um, the landscapes and all that type of stuff. But I'm never actually in the... Every time I'm in, uh, New Zealand, I'm in Auckland, in the city there, just training.

    5. JR

      Oh, right.

    6. AV

      That's it. So I never actually get to go see the place. Uh, I did for the last event where the boys, uh, fought in, in Auckland.

    7. JR

      The Dan Hooker, Paul Felder fight?

    8. AV

      So I was there. Yeah, yep-yep. So I was there.

    9. JR

      Great fight.

    10. AV

      Yeah, yeah. It was.

    11. JR

      (exhales) .

    12. AV

      Yeah, that was unreal.

    13. JR

      What a fight.

    14. AV

      Yeah, man, that was good, good fight for sure. And I was there... 'cause I was in the we- I was at a wedding the night before, so, yeah, the night before. And that was like five hours north, so I had to drive five hours. Remember, in, uh, Australia and that, like, it... they... the UFC's in the morning.

    15. JR

      Mm-hmm.

    16. AV

      So I had to get up like 3:00 in the morning, 3:30 in the morning, and then... and drive all the way there to watch the fight. So while I was there for the wedding, I got to see a bit more, you know?

    17. JR

      Mm-hmm.

    18. AV

      I got to... I went fishing, like, w- and stuff like that. So I love all that.

    19. JR

      Beautiful trout fishing in New Zealand.

    20. AV

      Yeah, so I wanted to-

    21. JR

      Supposed to be some of the best in the world.

    22. AV

      Yeah, yeah, no, there's some beautiful spots up there. So it's good, good drive. It was... at least it was a good drive on the way back down.

    23. JR

      The word is, in New Zealand, when it's really good is during mice season.

    24. AV

      Mice season?

    25. JR

      You ready for this?

    26. AV

      Okay.

    27. JR

      Yes. Here, you ready for this?

    28. AV

      Yeah.

    29. JR

      So something happens where there's more seeds. And when there's more seeds, there's more mice. And when there's more mice, the mice get into the water. And when the mice-

    30. AV

      Okay.

  10. 30:45 – 33:39

    Hunting stories and Australia’s dangerous wildlife: crocs, buffalo, and survival banter

    1. AV

      Yeah, well, I've watched it, uh, 'cause I'll, um, I get into the, I do a bit o' hunting an- and stuff myself. So, you know, I've watched the ... I made it up. I've watched the-

    2. JR

      Yeah.

    3. AV

      ... you know what I mean? There were a couple of times, yeah, that's cool, I actually-

    4. JR

      Do you hunt in Australia?

    5. AV

      Yeah, yeah, yeah.

    6. JR

      Australia's a great place to hunt.

    7. AV

      Yeah, yeah.

    8. JR

      Yeah. Shout out to my friend Adam Greentree.

    9. AV

      Yeah, yeah.

    10. JR

      Yeah.

    11. AV

      I've watched a bit of him, yeah.

    12. JR

      That's, that's his, uh, skull-

    13. AV

      Oh, there you go.

    14. JR

      ... up there. That came from Australia.

    15. AV

      All right. Oh, wow.

    16. JR

      Yeah.

    17. AV

      Okay.

    18. JR

      Asiatic water buffalo.

    19. AV

      Yeah.

    20. JR

      Dan- dangerous motherfuckers, those things.

    21. AV

      Oh, yeah. They're big. Far out.

    22. JR

      No, it's ne-

    23. AV

      I've never, I never, never done like that type of ... I've never been right up there.

    24. JR

      He'll take you. Don't go.

    25. AV

      Yeah, don- (laughs)

    26. JR

      If he offers, don't do it.

    27. AV

      Yeah. I don't know, man.

    28. JR

      He tr- tried to drag me out there. There's nothing but mosquito and-

    29. AV

      Crocodiles.

    30. JR

      Exactly.

  11. 33:39 – 38:38

    What’s next at featherweight: Max rematch, contenders, and the Ortega/Jay Park incident

    1. JR

      You're very important. You're very important. So, your position now, where you are the UFC champion, what is next? Is it a rematch with Max Holloway?

    2. AV

      Look, we're ... Right now, we don't really have, uh, anything locked in. Obviously, uh, the ... I think they're waiting for clearances and stuff like that, but-

    3. JR

      Is the hand clear now?

    4. AV

      Yeah. Yeah. So, I'll be-

    5. JR

      How many months ago was the fight, now?

    6. AV

      Uh, when was that? It was, uh, December 15th, so yeah, yeah, a few months. So, it's, uh ... I'd just had, like, my first, like, uh, yeah, wrestling, uh, sessions and, and grappling sessions. They held up well. So, uh, you know, I told, uh, my, my, my doc that, and you know, he's, uh, he's happy to ... they're more than happy for the, the June ... Obviously there's a Perf card in June.

    7. JR

      Ooh.

    8. AV

      And yeah, so that's something that, you know, per-

    9. JR

      Do you have a pin in there or anything?

    10. AV

      I've got a couple of screws. Yeah. So I've got a couple of screws in there, but ... And, uh, done a bit of, uh, ligament damage as well. We don't know if that was before the fight or, or during the fight. But, uh, you know, again, I'm back into training, and, you know, it doesn't take me long to get fit, and I try to do ... Again, I'm professional. I try to keep training. But nothing's locked in. Nothing's locked in. Uh, we haven't even really had that conversation yet. But all ... You know, everything's pointing to, you know, Perf and, and even, uh, Max being the rematch, you know. A lot ... That's what Dana White keeps bringing up, but we haven't had that conversation. I think, uh, for the division, and for me, I think that, that probably is still the biggest fight.

    11. JR

      It's a big fight.

    12. AV

      You know? Yeah, you know what I mean?

    13. JR

      (laughs) It's a big fight-

    14. AV

      Rematch.

    15. JR

      ... and there's nothing else that makes sense-

    16. AV

      That's-

    17. JR

      ... in the horizon.

    18. AV

      That's the thing.

    19. JR

      (clears throat)

    20. AV

      You know what I mean? We've got so many-

    21. JR

      You have, um, Ortega is gonna fight Korean Zombie, and I don't ... What the fuck happened this weekend?

    22. AV

      Yeah.

    23. JR

      Were you there when he smacked Jay Park?

    24. AV

      I, I ... I just missed that. So I o- I knew that that could've happened, because, uh, when, uh, when, uh, yeah, Korean Zombie done the, done the interview, like, where, where they had the translator, where all that sorta happened, I was, like, watching it. So I knew, I knew what happened. He ... And Ortega said that he was gonna slap him. Like, he actually said this. He was going, "I'm gonna slap you if, when I see you," or something like that.

    25. JR

      Why was he saying that?

    26. AV

      Um, because Jay Park was translating for, for Korean Zombie, and supposedly, he said things that, uh, you know, insulted, uh, Ortega, and Ortega didn't like it, so he said he was gonna-

    27. JR

      But did he say things or did-

    28. AV

      Well-

    29. JR

      ... he translate the things-

    30. AV

      Well, that's, that's what's ... Yeah, that's what a lot of people are saying, but I think, uh, you know, he, he didn't translate fully, and then he just sorta had his opinion as well. Like, sorta like maybe.

  12. 38:38 – 42:21

    Breaking down the Holloway win: leg kicks, rhythm disruption, and in-fight adjustments

    1. JR

      Yeah. Well, I was so impressed with the fight you fought against Max, because for it to fight your style for five rounds-

    2. AV

      Mm-hmm.

    3. JR

      ... you have to be in tremendous shape. Because you have a, such an explosive style. Your style is so movement, leg ha- leg kick heavy, and then power shots.

    4. AV

      Mm-hmm.

    5. JR

      I mean, you're throwing so many power punches, like just your sheer output.

    6. AV

      Mm-hmm.

    7. JR

      And you're not touching people. You're smashing, you know what I mean?

    8. AV

      Mm-hmm.

    9. JR

      It's like, it's a very, it's a very difficult style to maintain for five rounds.

    10. AV

      Yeah, yeah. Well, it is, but you know, again, I've always been a, a hard worker and we train hard. We, we definitely train hard.

    11. JR

      I imagine.

    12. AV

      Yeah, we, we, we all, uh, put in, put in that... We... I don't know if you've ever, we call our, uh, our workout, we do the spi- we call it Spider. It was named after so- someone, uh, but yeah, Spider. So it's just literally fight gone bad and, and it's just the hardest, whatever you're fighting. If it's a three round day, you'll do the three rounds. It's a five round, you'll do the five rounds. It's like the hardest five minute rounds that you can think of. And like the judges put you at You Versus Everyone, like the atmosphere is absolutely crazy and, like, if you'd just seen the workout, you'd be like, "Wow." You know, that that would... "Okay, that, that explains why he's fit." You know what I mean? It's, it's crazy, it really is. So we put the hard yards in and, you know, obviously to have a star like, like that, like you said, you know, you gotta, you gotta put the work in. But, uh, again, as you were saying, like, you know, obviously they're not just touching, like there's a lot of big shots, but, you know, I always try and break the rhythm. So a lot of times I, I am, you know... There will be a couple touch and then a couple send them right through.

    13. JR

      Mm-hmm.

    14. AV

      And I just try and mix it up really well, and I think that worked really well with Max. Obviously, he gets real deep, but I won't get a... There might be a rematch though, I can't give too much away. (laughs)

    15. JR

      Right. (coughs) What was the... Well, you could give away this. What was the game plan coming into that fight? And was anything unusual for you? Like when, when you actually wound up fighting Max, was there anything, once you were actually in the octagon with him, was anything unusual?

    16. AV

      Not... Like everything pretty much went to how we thought it was gonna go. So the, e- he made adjustments during that fight, we both were adjusting, so, uh, you know, I don't know if many people would've, would've seen it. But even when it come to just the way, like, you know, I would go and then he would try and counter, and then he would be like, "Pretend to counter, then pull back, then counter." You know what I mean?

    17. JR

      Mm-hmm.

    18. AV

      We were sorta just having these little battles. Um, but always leg kicks were gonna be a big part. Not just to hurt his leg, but just to really break his rhythm and, uh, you know, uh, and make him... You know, obviously he loves that jab and, uh, he stays pretty, uh, heavy on that front leg.

    19. JR

      Yes.

    20. AV

      And, uh, whether that's, uh, you know, making him adjust, you know, his stance, and, and just putting him in a position that he's not comfortable in. And he's been fighting forever in this style and it's been so effective for him. So, uh, you know, h- him even being a couple of inches back, you know, so he's not so heavy on that front leg, that just throws his whole rhythm off.

    21. JR

      Yeah.

    22. AV

      You know what I mean? And that's why a lot of people are... It's funny, a lot of people are gonna go, "Oh, he's gonna make adjustments and he's gonna check the kicks and all that." But you gotta remember, he's a, he's, you know, he's a volume fighter. If he starts adjusting so much, you know what I mean? Starts worrying about all that, then he's, he can't stick to a game that's been so successful for himself. So, uh, I, I don't know. I'm expecting the same thing. I'm expecting to go out there and do my thing. But again, we'll, we'll mix it up but I can't give too much away. (laughs)

    23. JR

      Right. You saw some adjustments where he switched to southpaw. Did you guys-

    24. AV

      Yeah.

    25. JR

      ... anticipate that as well?

    26. AV

      Yeah, yeah, yeah. We anticipated that, yeah. So that was a, again, like you're gonna hit, you know, smack the leg that many times that I'm sure, you know?

    27. JR

      Yeah.

    28. AV

      But again, it was just, even though, you know, he does switch stances a lot, so we were ready for that. But I mean, for him to actually do the whole round in, in southpaw, um, I think there was a third round or later in the second he sort of switched. But in the third he was, like, southpaw for a while, and that's when, you know, that was probably my biggest round, that's where he coped a lot. So then he tried to come back to orthodox. But, you know, I just, again, I- I'm so, so good at playing what's in front of me, so he did make adjustments and I adjusted again. And it's just, again, I think that goes back to training with so many different bodies and, and styles. And you know what I mean? No, no surprises come fight time, that's how I look at it.

  13. 42:21 – 1:05:02

    City Kickboxing culture and Izzy vs Romero: why some ‘boring’ fights are strategic

    1. JR

      Yeah, I mean, you guys have a crazy, crazy team if you really stop and think about it. You know, Dan Hooker, Israel Adesanya, and you just alone. And I'm sure you guys-

    2. AV

      Mm-hmm.

    3. JR

      ... got a bunch of killers coming up, right?

    4. AV

      Man, I'm telling you, there's some guys in... You go there and you train, and there's guys that do it as a hobby, they just train there as a hobby, and they could be in the UFC.

    5. JR

      I'm sure.

    6. AV

      It's a blowout, like in a-

    7. JR

      There's always guys like that.

    8. AV

      Yeah, yeah, yeah.

    9. JR

      There's always those guys-

    10. AV

      Exactly right.

    11. JR

      ... in gyms.

    12. AV

      Yeah, yeah.

    13. JR

      You know?

    14. AV

      I just-

    15. JR

      Like in jujitsu, there's always a guy, like, "Why aren't you competing?"

    16. AV

      Yeah. (laughs)

    17. JR

      You know? Like, you roll with them and they're like-

    18. AV

      Yeah.

    19. JR

      ... like elite black belts.

    20. AV

      Yeah, it's a blowout.

    21. JR

      There's always these guys that just really love it, but they don't feel like doing it for a living.

    22. AV

      Yeah, man, it's, it's a blowout. Like again-

    23. JR

      Yeah.

    24. AV

      ... I've, I've trained with a lot of people and I'll go there and I, and I'll have this guy that hasn't even had an amateur fight and he's giving me problems.

    25. JR

      Hmm.

    26. AV

      And you're like, "What's going on here?" (laughs) You know what I mean?

    27. JR

      That's crazy.

    28. AV

      But it's, uh, it's cool. Again, that's what you want.

    29. JR

      But that's what makes a great gym, right?

    30. AV

      Yeah.

Episode duration: 1:43:41

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