"I was in two minds" - Alexander Volkanovski answers if KO loss to Islam Makhachev affected his performance against Ilia Topuria

Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has acknowledged the mental challenges he faced leading up to his recent knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298.

Volkanovski, currently on a two-fight skid following his defeat to Topuria, previously lost to Islam Makhachev in a lightweight title bout last October. He entered his most recent fight just four months after the Makhachev loss.

Appearing in a recent video on his YouTube channel, 'The Great' addressed the potential impact of the first KO loss on his performance against Topuria:

"People are going to speculate... I was in two minds in there. I was fighting like, you know, I can't get caught... trying to tell myself, no no, you're good, you're all good, come on, you got to start going, start fighting your fight."

He continued:

"Maybe it did affect me, you know what I mean. So that makes me take this seriously, obviously. It's two [losses] in a row now."

Volkanovski also stressed his intention to avoid a "quick turnaround" like the one for the Topuria fight. He plans to take time to recover and return stronger.

Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments below (02:50):

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Michael Chandler advises rest for Alexander Volkanovski following recent loss

UFC lightweight Michael Chandler has weighed in on Alexander Volkanovski's recent string of losses, urging him to take a break before considering his next fight.

Chandler expressed concern about Volkanovski's quick turnaround on The MMA Hour:

"I mean, Volk coming out, taking that fight on short notice, and then fighting three and a half, four months after, which means you’re back into a training camp, back sparring, taking blows to the head again, just month and a half, two months later, it’s not the right recipe... And this is why you can look at that and you can say, 'Man, Volk might have had a different outcome that night had he not gone right back into a training camp.'"

'Iron' suggested the constant training and fighting might have affected Volkanovski's performance and suggested a period of rest for the former champ:

"I want to see the best for Volk. I would like to see him sit down a little bit, enjoy some time with his family, still stay involved but don’t take any punches to the head, man, because we need him in the sport for a little while longer."

Check out Michael Chandler's comments on Alexander Volkanovski below (21:15):