Latest news with #AlexanderVolkanovski
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Volkanovski Alexander Shares Hard Truth About Jon Jones: ‘It's a Responsibility'
Volkanovski Alexander Shares Hard Truth About Jon Jones: 'It's a Responsibility' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The UFC's heavyweight division has been surrounded by uncertainty for months, and now one of the sport's most respected champions is weighing in. While Jon Jones remains sidelined and no official word has been given on his next move, a fellow titleholder didn't hold back in delivering a hard truth about what it means to wear UFC gold. Advertisement UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who recently reclaimed his title with a dominant win over Diego Lopes at UFC 314, gave his take on the situation during a recent appearance on the OverDogsPodcast, shared via Red Corner MMA. Jon Jones Getty Images The Aussie didn't mince words when asked about Jon Jones' inactivity and the state of the heavyweight division. 'If you're the champ, you defend your belt — it's a responsibility. You need to be reasonably active. If you've got an interim champ, that's a no-brainer. Don't hold up the division. I know your resume is incredible, you're considered the GOAT. So if you don't want to fight, just retire.' Volkanovski's words hold weight, especially considering his own track record. Even after recapturing the featherweight belt, he immediately turned his attention to a possible bout with undefeated contender Movsar Evloev. The message is clear—Volk is living by the same standard he's calling for. Advertisement As for Jones, no official retirement has been confirmed, and UFC President Dana White recently reiterated that while he'll do everything possible to make the next fight happen, 'if Jon wants to retire, there's nothing I can do.' With the title picture still in limbo, the heavyweight drama continues. Related: Ilia Topuria Sends a Blistering Warning to Rising UFC Star Related: New Court Ruling Adds to Ongoing Legal Struggles for BJ Penn: Report This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Dana White: Evloev Likely Next For Volkanovski With UFC Abu Dhabi Win
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 07: Movsar Evloev of Russia looks on prior to a featherweight fight ... More during UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena on December 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by) Earlier this week, UFC CEO Dana White announced several fights for the July 26 UFC Abu Dhabi fight card. One of those bouts was the five-round co-main event between highly-ranked Movsar Evloev and coveted free-agent signee Aaron Pico. While announcing the bout, White added that with a win, Evloev is likely to be next in line to face UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 07: Movsar Evloev of Russia awaits the start of a round in a ... More featherweight bout during the UFC 310 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) "In the co-main event," said White, "we have another five-round fight, between No. 4 ranked Movsar Evloev taking on the guy most people consider to be the top free agent in the world, Aaron Pico. "Evloev is undefeated at 19-0 and one of the most intimidating guys at featherweight. Aaron Pico is a ridiculously violent striker and a very high-level grappler. Pico has had hype behind him since he was a teenager because of his skill and fighting style, which people compare him to the likes of Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier. "If Movsar can get the victory, he will likely be the next contender for the title against Alexander Volkanovski. "Expect this fight to be an absolute war." Volkanovski does not have his next title defense booked. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 06: Movsar Evloev of Russia prepares to fight Diego Lopes of Brazil in a ... More featherweight fight during the UFC 288 event at Prudential Center on May 06, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Evloev (19-0) made his UFC debut in April 2019 in a featherweight contest against Choi Seung-woo. At the time he stepped into the UFC Octagon for the first time, Evloev was 10-0 and coming off a defense of the M-1 Global bantamweight crown. Evloev, defeated Choi via unanimous decision. Over the next five years, Evloev would climb the featherweight rankings, facing progressively tougher opponents under the UFC banner. He is 9-0 under the UFC banner. In his most recent outing, the 31-year-old defeated former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling by decision at UFC 310 in a 145-pound scrap. Evloev has an eight-fight winning streak at 145 pounds, one of his UFC wins came at a catchweight of 150 pounds. He has the fourth longest winning streak in the history of the division. Volkanovski's 11-fight winning run between November 2016 and July 2022 is the second-longest UFC featherweight winning streak. All nine of Evloev's UFC wins have come via decision. Pico (13-4) joined the UFC as a free agent earlier this year. Pico was with Bellator for his entire MMA career before departing as a free agent. The 28-year-old had an up-and-down run with the promotion, but he enters UFC Abu Dhabi on a three-fight winning streak. His record in his past 10 fights is 9-1. His only loss during that span, which dates back to January 2020, is a October 2022 TKO loss to Jeremy Kennedy in a fighter were the doctor stopped the bout because Pico dislocated his shoulder. MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 12: Alexander Volkanovski of Australia reacts after his unanimous-decision ... More victory against Diego Lopes of Brazil in the UFC featherweight championship bout during the UFC 314 event at Kaseya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) In April after wining the vacant UFC featherweight title with a decision over Diego Lopes, Volkanovski spoke about who he could face next. 'If the UFC wants to give it to Yair [Rodriguez], I ain't gonna stop that for him,' Volkanovski said. 'I'll be honest, before that fight [against Patricio Freire], I didn't think if he won, he would be getting a shot. I'll be honest, that didn't come to mind. But now that he's calling, I'm not going to be the one to say no. I'm going to leave everything to the UFC. 'Obviously, you've got guys like Movsar, who's undefeated. I'd love to take that zero. We've got to see what the UFC say. I even seen him tweeting that he wants to fight someone in May and doing all this sort of stuff, so maybe he's had the chats and they want him to have one more fight. So I don't know that situation, but I'll see how things are. I'd love to say I want to get straight back in there. I still do. But I'm gonna have to maybe look at a couple of things.' As for Evloev, he's been angling for a title fight for a while. He revisited that idea in April on social media. Saturday, July 26, 2025 Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi Main Card: 3:00 p.m. ET Preliminary Card: 12:00 p.m. ET We will have more on UFC Abu Dhabi and the Movsar Evloev vs. Aaron Pico fight as fight night approaches.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
New mum Ash Barty has bought a fixer upper and has called in some help! Grand Slam superstar teams up with Rafael Nadal and Aussie sport legends for hilarious new advert
New mum Ash Barty has bought a fixer-upper and has called in some favours from some legends of the Aussie sporting world, and Spannish tennis great Rafael Nadal, as part of a hilarious new advert. KIA sent sporting fans into meltdown last year with their brilliant TV advert for their latest pickup truck, with 20 Australia sports stars, including the likes of Swans legend Buddy Franklin, UFC great Alexander Volkanovski and tennis great Dylan Alcott, all appearing in the advert. But this time, the South Korean car manufacturer has taken things up a notch, with Barty returning to headline the brand's latest advertisement for its new KIA Tasman pickup. It comes just a day after the three-time Grand Slam winner, Barty, announced to the world that she had given birth to her second child. The tennis legend, who retired in 2022, took to Instagram on Monday to share several pictures of her newborn baby, writing: 'Welcome to the world Jordan. You are loved unconditionally and we are so grateful to have you in our arms, gorgeous girl.' But the mum of two showed off her acting skills during the clip, which was previewed on Nine's Current Affair on Tuesday. The advert begins with Barty arriving at a run-down house in the countryside, with the Aussie tennis star, 29, looking down at a real estate brochure showing a pristine-looking house, but the camera then pans up to show that the advert was severely misleading, with the house in all sorts of disrepair. 'Home sweet home,' a lady says to Barty as they arrive at the house, with the tennis great replying: 'Needs a bit of work...' The pair then have called in several legends from the world of Aussie sport to help them do up the house, including AFL legend Peter Daicos, Test cricket great Jason Gillespie, AFL Hall of Famer Erin Phillips, and tennis champion Pat Rafter. The hilarious advertisement also sees Spanish tennis great and 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal make a brief appearance. Nadal, who appeared in a video call, drew upon his knowledge of Aussie slang when pressed on whether he'd come and help Barty renovate the house. He replied by hilariously asking: 'Is it a cashie?' 'He's dreaming,' Barty's construction manager responded. Nadal revealed to Nine's A Current Affair that he had 'heard of the slang before.' He added 'It's a funny thing. An Australian expression.' The ex-sports stars-turned-tradies begin to arrive in the new KIA Tasman pickups to help Barty fix-up her new home. Basketball legend Luc Longley and Phillips, turn up to sort the decorations on the house, with the pair covered in paint. Barty is seen shouting at the pair, appearing to poke fun at the 7ft 2in former NBA star's height, asking: 'You guys need a ladder?' AFLW superstar Phillips, who was last week inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, replied: 'Nah think we'll be right!' with Longley laughing: 'Ladders.' During the ad, Longley drops a number of basketball-related puns, with his painting company for the advertisement being called 'In The Paint' - a reference to the rectangular area on the court by the basket, where he spent most of his time on the court as a player. 'I love the sign on my Tasman. They had in the paint on the side in a basketball keyway. They've obviously given a lot of thought to it,' he told A Current Affair. KIA have also played on the words of Peter Daicos' nickname, with the former Collingwood star being well known among footy fans as the Macedonian Marvel. During the add, his building company is known as Macedonian Marble, with Daicos introducing himself to the cameras by showcasing a thick slab of 'beautiful Macedonian marble'. 'I'm not going to sit by the phone and wait for Hollywood, but I think I've got a little bit of tidying up to do when it comes to acting,' Daicos said. Another Collingwood great, Dane Swan, also appears in the clip playing Barty's next-door neighbour, with the footy star making light on his reputation as a player who enjoyed going out partying. He rocks up next door in a KIA Tasman with the logo 'Dane's Party Supplies' printed on its window, unloading several large speakers from its flatbed. 'I'm happy to be the party supplier, it was very true in real life so might as well throw it to the ad,' he said. NRL great Geoff Toovey also joins up with the sporting legends and, of course, has to make a cameo where he repeats the iconic line he said in a press conference during his time at Manly: 'That's ridiculous, there's got to be an investigation.' Meanwhile, Barty called in the services of Rafter, known for his amazing skills on grass tennis courts, to lay turf on the lawns around the house. But Rafter never won at Wimbledon, reaching the final on two occasions, with Barty, who did win the grass major in 2022, joking that 'her husband wasn't available' to come and lay the turf, joking that she called Pat instead. They then revealed what trade they'd choose if they went on to work in the construction industry. Barty said: 'Probably something in landscaping. I love being outside. I wouldn't trust myself to look after something structurally inside of a home but can look after a plant.'
USA Today
06-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alexander Volkanovski provides update on next UFC fight: 'The rumors are pretty much true'
Alexander Volkanovski provides update on next UFC fight: 'The rumors are pretty much true' UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski expected Movsar Evloev to be his next challenger – but it appears he won't be. Prior to defeating Diego Lopes to claim the vacant featherweight title at UFC 314, Volkanovski (27-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) said he was willing to make his first title defense against Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in September. However, the promotion opted to go a different direction. With Noche UFC originally set to take place in Guadalajara, Mexico in Sept. 13 before moving to San Antonio, Texas, rumors swirled that Yair Rodriguez (19-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) is likely next for Volkanovski. "It's pretty clear that it wasn't going to be Movsar," Volkanovski told FOX Sports Australia. "That's who I thought it would be. Obviously, him being undefeated and on the sort of a tear that he's on, but I think they've matched him up. You've seen him tweet something about that. So, he already went out and made that public that he unfortunately can't fight for the title. "Yair's name has popped up. No dates are set right now. So, again, I think it's just a lot of moving parts all through the whole division. I think there's a lot happening right now. So, we'll see what's happening. We'll see what comes up. All I can really tell you is everyone pretty much knows the situation, and the rumors you're hearing are pretty much true, but nothing's locked in." Rodriguez in the title picture may come as a surprise to many since he is 1-2 in his past three fights. After back-to-back losses to Volkanovski for the featherweight title then Brian Ortega, "El Pantera" rebounded with a unanimous decision win over former Bellator champion Patricio Freire at UFC 314.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sadio Mane scores four in Al Nassr's 9-0 thrashing
Alex Volkanovski: 'I'm most proud of coming back from 2 knockout losses' Alexander Volkanovski returns as two-time UFC featherweight champion after his win over Diego Lopes to break down what it meant to regain the belt, getting back on track after back-to-back knockout losses, a potential fight with Movsar Evloev, the state of his division, his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, wanting the Ilia rematch, Belal Muhammad vs. fellow Aussie Jack Della Maddalena, and more. 3:23 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
