Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya have been friends and teammates for many years. The former featherweight champion is currently in Perth, Australia, to support his City Kickboxing teammate, who will take on Dricus du Plessis in the UFC 305 main event.
During the pre-fight press conference, ‘The Last Stylebender’ shared a heated exchange with du Plessis. Following this, an emotional Adesanya shared a passionate speech about his reasons for fighting, paying tribute to his family.
Volkanovski, who appeared at a fan Q&A the following day, was asked to share his thoughts on the emotional moment shed by his teammate. The Australian believes that Adesanya will use the heightened emotion to his advantage, an opinion not shared by many fans.
“There’s obviously a bit of beef there… I’m sure there’s respect as well. But one good thing I know about Izzy is he knows how to channel his feelings. He’s very comfortable with who he is. We obviously saw him getting a little bit emotional yesterday but I think that’s only going to add to his performance. I think he’s gonna channel it in the right direction and go for that highlight-reel finish.”
Alexander Volkanovski credits Israel Adesanya for helping him become an all-time great
Alexander Volkanovski is regarded by some as the greatest featherweight in MMA history, with the former champion having reigned supreme over the UFC’s 145-pound division from 2019 until 2024.
‘The Great’ put on iconic performances one after the other, and ahead of Israel Adesanya’s return, Volkanovski has thanked his friend and teammate for helping him become the champion he was.
‘The Last Stylebender’, another icon of the UFC since his middleweight title win in 2019, will face Dricus du Plessis in a highly anticipated UFC 305, with the South African now champion.
The former featherweight king was interviewed by mainevent to preview the clash between Adesanya and ‘Stillknocks’. He shared a touching tribute to his teammate, saying this:
“I wouldn’t have been the active champion I was if it wasn’t for [Adesanya]. A lot of it came with me being comfortable with who I am, and confident. I don’t think I would have had that confidence… I feel like it was something I always struggled with until I got to hang out more with Israel Adesanya… I wouldn’t be the champion I was if it wasn’t for someone like Izzy.”
