Alexander Volkanovski reckons Australia will soon have another UFC world champion – albeit an adopted one – as part of a broader prediction for “wild” times on the White House lawn next Monday.
The declaration comes as Volk was also offered a surprise, and undeniably lighthearted, callout this week, with a hyped American prospect shouting across a crowded Washington DC gym: “Yo Volk, let me know if you want a piece”.
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Speaking only days out from the UFC White House card with Fox Sports Australia, Volkanovski has opened up on his surprise role in the corner of breakout Brazilian lightweight title contender Mauricio Ruffy.
Despite the pair having only teamed up five months ago, Australia’s UFC featherweight king has been handed a crucial cornering role in Monday’s showdown against popular American Michael Chandler.
On Wednesday night this week, Fox Sports Australia was also invited to attend a private sparring session between Ruffy and Volkanovski, who has been working heavily with the Brazilian on grappling and wrestling.
Yet just before taking to the mats at a BJJ gym in the suburbs, Volk was forced to spin around after receiving a light-hearted challenge from American middleweight Bo Nickal, who had quietly walked in to do some preparations for his own White House match against Kyle Daukaus.
“Yo Volk, let me know if you want a piece,” the rising middleweight laughed from across the room.
Then after a short pause, he went again.
Nickal: “I heard you used to fight at 185 (pounds).”
Volk, laughing: “Yep, my first fight was at middleweight”.
Soon enough, however, it was both Volk and Ruffy who were ripping in on the mats.
While ‘The Great’ speaks little Portuguese – and Ruffy, little English – the champ says a third party, who is also part of their fight crew, has been tasked with translating his advice between rounds on fight week.
Elsewhere, Volk added that Ruffy could also soon move to Australia permanently as part of his bid to make a run at the UFC lightweight strap.
In his own interview with Fox Sports Australia, the Brazilian also explained his shock move to Australia at the start of this year.
It was back in January this year, and while preparing to fight on UFC 325 in Sydney, that Ruffy made a surprise switch from his longtime home at Fighting Nerds to Volkanovski’s crew in Windang – which is headed up by famed Aussie coach, Joe Lopez.
Volkanovski also fought on the same card, beating Diego Lopez for a second time in the headliner, and spent plenty of time with his new Brazilian stablemate both on and off the mats in their respective builds.
In fact, when Ruffy got seriously ill in fight week, contracting the flu, it was Volk and his team who played a crucial role in ensuring the fighter battled through and made it to the cage on fight night.
Tellingly, the 29-year-old also enjoyed strong success once there too, earning a $100,000 UFC bonus after stopping Rafael Fiziev in the second round.
“So for me, the most exciting thing about this White House card is being a part of Ruffy’s corner, and part of his journey,” Volkanovski said. “I’m really connected to it and can’t wait.
“I also really think Ruffy is going to have a massive moment at the White House.
“I’m talking a really wild win.
“Which is going to be so good for him because there will be so many great opportunities after that.
“I’ve got no doubt he will be a champion.”
Quizzed on how difficult it will be to convey information during the fight, given the pair speak in different languages, Volk continued: “You’re right, there is a language barrier there.
“So the question becomes how quickly can I get messages away to him between rounds?
“And that’s why there will be someone there to translate what I’m telling him.
“A lot of the talk though, it’s about stuff we’ve already worked on.
“So it’s not requiring for me to scream out all this different technical advice. Instead, it’s more about just reiterating a few specific things.
“Then, just being there for him.
“Because Ruffy has already said publicly how much he’s learned training with us, and how much his mindset and mentality has been lifted around what it takes to be a champion.”
Asked if the Brazilian could move permanently to Team Volk, the champ continued: “Yes, I think so.
“He wants to become part of the team and I think he would move to Australia. It could happen.
“Obviously it’s hard because he has a family but at the very least it’s going to be regular visits to Australia, to our camps in Thailand.”
Asked about working with Australia’s UFC superstar, Ruffy told us via translator: “Volk brought me into camp for the second Diego Lopes fight, he brought me in, welcomed me and I felt really good around the team.
“And now it’s a real privilege to have the champion here. To have someone with so much experience.
“He’s also been training with me and helped me out a lot with my grappling and wrestling which is something I’ve been working on.”
And as for his advice from the corner?
“I do understand a lot of English,” Ruffy continued. “And anyway, the fight language is universal.
“We repeat the same kind of terminologies so it’s great to have him around.”