UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has just undertaken his 1st sparring session since the head kick KO loss he suffered against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev last month.
According to the 35-year-old Volkanovski all went well and he’s now firmly focused on preparing for his upcoming 145lb title defense against Ilia Topuria, which will serve as the main event for UFC 298 in Anaheim, California on February 17th.
“Just had my first spar,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “So, obviously had to follow all the protocols, concussion, back to training. So, followed all the protocols to a tee, no symptoms, kept it rolling, kept it rolling. Felt real good. No knocks, no symptoms still. So, we’re rolling. We’re going to keep this baby rolling. Very, very happy with it.
“Very thankful for the team behind me, obviously Joe (Lopez) and all my training partners … my doctors, as well, they’ve literally dealt with thousands of concussions, so they made sure I followed (protocols) to a tee. Mate, I feel great, was able to train the whole way through, so I haven’t lost too much fitness, which is good. We’ve still got plenty of time before we even get into camp. Now I get to ease back into a full training schedule.”
While Volkanovski has now suffered two losses at 155lbs, he remains undefeated at 145lbs, with his latest title defense being a TKO victory over Yair Rodriguez back in July.
As for Topuria, he’s currently undefeated in his 14-0 career, including six wins in the UFC so far, beating the likes of Josh Emmett, Bryce Mitchell and Ryan Hall along the way.
