Islam Makhachev arrived ready to play the bad guy right down to his black hat.
That, and his black shirt, black trackies, black shoes, black jacket, black beard, black … well, you get the point, right?
But as for Alexander Volkanovski?
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Well, on an afternoon where a delirious Perth crowd went nuts for absolutely everything said by Australia’s greatest fighter now – and just maybe, ever – the biggest pop eventually arrived after a journalist questioned this $4 TAB outsider about his ‘Cathy Freeman’ moment.
Specifically, one that would see Volkanovski not only claim the UFC lightweight title this Sunday, or ‘champ champ’ status, but enter conversations for the greatest UFC fighter ever.
Volk & Islam size up after 284 presser | 00:59
Seated on stage inside RAC Arena at a pumping UFC 284 press conference, Australia’s UFC featherweight king was told about a debate which, held on local radio earlier that day, centred around the greatest sporting moment in this nation’s history.
And moments later, if Volkanovski beating Makhachev would rank alongside, or even better, Freeman’s unforgettable Sydney Olympic gold?
For this is the incredible fervour with which fight fans are now embracing a former Wollongong concreter.
A hype that not only saw Volkanovski cheered every time he picked up the microphone on stage, but further along the row — dressed completely in black — Dagestani wrestler Makhachev drowned out with boos whenever he tried speaking.
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Same deal, American Randy Brown.
Who also up on stage with Perth welterweight Jack Della Maddalena, who he faces this weekend, at one point responding to another round of boos exactly as you would expect a tough New Yorker — by gifting them the ‘bird’.
Right before promising even more damage for Della’s now signature broken nose.
But first, Volk.
Asked about the Freeman comparison, the reigning UFC featherweight champ responded humbly: “It’s not up to me to say where (a win) would stand.
Volk very confident he won’t get KO’d | 01:50
“But this is a big fight
“I’m moving up and he (Islam) is pushing the narrative that there’s no wrestling in Australia, that I won’t be able to handle the power, all that sort of stuff.
“And I am the underdog. But I love people doubting me.
“I prove them wrong all the time and I’ll do it again Sunday.
“And to become ‘champ champ’, take that belt off Islam, it’s going to be an incredible feat.”
Soon after, Volkanovski continued: “I’m not looking past him (Makhachev) but I love challenging myself, love putting myself in this position.
“I think people should always do that in life.
“You want to be successful at anything, challenge yourself, it’s going to make you stronger — trust me.
“I’m twice the man I was before I started this camp because I knew the challenge ahead of me.
“I ain’t scared of a challenge, I know I can rise to the occasion.
“I know it’s going to make me better and that’s what people remember. He’ll sit there and say I’m crazy for stepping up and all that, I think that’s weak looking at it that way.
“I think you should challenge yourself. You should put yourself in these positions.
“Don’t look at what might happen in things go wrong. Let’s look at what happens if things go right.”
So intense was the hype around Volkanovski at Friday afternoon’s presser, one journalist even asked Makhachev if, in victory, the former Warilla Gorilla would then be considered the greatest ever.
“That’s not possible,” the Man In Black shot back.
Volk’s secret weapon to combat Islam | 01:19
“I’m the champion and we fight at 155. This is not his area … I’m going to beat him easy.”
Elsewhere, Makhachev doubled down in his previous claims that Volkanovski would not be able to compete with him on the Octagon canvas – despite having spent months training with Australia’s legendary Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Craig Jones.
“This is not same,” the UFC lightweight champ said of those Jones sessions. “He brings some guys from jiu jitsu but this is not the same.
“This is not going to be jiu jitsu. It’s going to be MMA pressure.
“He thinks Craig Jones cannot control him on the ground but this is different.”
Makhachev also promised, again, to knock Volkanovski cold in his first ever title headliner on homesoil.
“You know Alex is good everywhere,” he said. “But I am different.
“I’m not like his other opponents.
Islam dismisses Volk’s Aussie training | 00:53
“Not like Zombie, Holloway … I have other plan and I always finish my opponent.
“Many people say Islam is best fighter in the world right now.
“And Sunday I’m going to show you why the people think this.”
Later, Volkanovski responded: “I had one of the best grapplers in the world put me in tough positions for 16 weeks.
“A bigger, stronger guy than him (Makhachev) putting me in these positions.
“So to think I won’t be prepared, it’s silly.
“I ain’t tapping. I ain’t going to sleep.
“And I’m putting hands on him.”
Another fighter who barely struggled to be heard above the raucous Perth crowd was Brown.
Khabib still checking in on Makhachev | 00:33
“I f…ing love it,” he shouted as the boos rained down. “I love Perth, Perth is the s..t … but I’m gunna have to play spoiler for your boy, sorry.”
Asked if he had ever faced a crowd like this, the New Yorker responded: “I have.
“Brazil. Same s..t.
“Thing is, you can’t fight for him.
“I love you all, I love Perth, but y’all cannot fight for him.
“I’m gunna put that nose back on the other side of his face.”
But hometown hero JDM, he wasn’t sold.
A truth proved when asked what he thought Brown could expect?
“Randy can expect to wake up,” he grinned, “with a crazy crowd going absolutely berserk.”
At which point, said mob did exactly that.