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Alexander Volkanovski’s coach Frank Hickman recently detailed how the UFC featherweight champion has managed to make such tremendous strides as a wrestler during his fighting career.
Volkanovski is set to headline UFC 284 in his native Australia, and he’ll attempt to become a two-division champion when he takes on Islam Makhachev in the latter’s first title defense. The 34-year-old hasn’t lost since his fourth pro bout, and his undefeated record inside the UFC includes winning the promotion’s featherweight title along with four successful defenses of his belt.
One of the most interesting aspects of Volkanovski’s UFC run has been seeing how his style has changed over the years, and Hickman says the Australian’s wrestling skills are something that developed rapidly after they started working together.
Volkanovski has defended the UFC’s featherweight title four times. (David Yeazell/USA TODAY Sports)
“When I first met Volk it was probably four and a half years ago, five years ago,” Hickman told The AllStar. “And when we would wrestle – I’m not gonna say that I kinda like did what I want, but you know I was able to score points and stuff like that. Was able to ride him and keep him down easier than what I do now.
“And just over the years, he just picked up things and then it got to the point there where some of my old tricks that I would do just don’t work anymore on him. I find myself getting in these positions to where, before when I would have two, three different exit strategies, that window is shut. And that window shut a long time ago…It’s credit to Alex because he’s always willing to work at it, it’s something that he’s consistently wanted to work on and work at.”
Hickman Cites Training Partners As Asset For Volkanovski
Volkanovski has largely relied on his striking during his reign as the UFC’s featherweight champion, but there’s a good chance the wrestling he showed early in his UFC career will be tested when he takes on Makhachev at UFC 284.
A teammate of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has been largely dominant throughout his career aside from a first-round knockout loss to Adriano Martins in his second UFC bout. His grappling has overwhelmed the majority of the opponents he’s faced, and even Charles Oliveira fell victim to the 31-year-old’s mat skills when he was submitted in the second round at UFC 280 while attempting to defend his lightweight title.
The fact that Volkanovski will be moving up in weight is obviously a concern if he and Makhachev tie up, but Hickman knows the Australian is no stranger to grappling larger opponents.
Makhachev submitted Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to win the UFC’s lightweight title. (Zuffa LLC)
“Obviously now it’s much more difficult to wrestle him and stuff like that, so that’s why sometimes you gotta have a bigger body to do that so you could stand from the outside and watch and realize, ‘Damn, he has gotten tremendously better.’ And it’s not just from me, it’s also from other people that he’s wrestling… I think when you’re able to have different body styles and different body types that always is gonna help you also, because the more you experience that, the more situations you put yourself into, the more you’ll be ready for. Anytime you wrestle somebody – or same thing with sparring – you might see something you’ve never seen before.”
UFC 284 will take place in Perth, Western Australia and features a number of the UFC’s top Australian fighters. One of the few bouts to not include a local fighter is the co-main event between Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett, which will crown an interim featherweight champion while Volkanovski makes his foray up to lightweight.
What do you think of Hickman’s comments about how Volkanovski’s wrestling has developed?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Alexander Volkanovski’s coach Frank Hickman recently detailed how the UFC featherweight champion has managed to make such tremendous strides as a wrestler during his fighting career.
Volkanovski is set to headline UFC 284 in his native Australia, and he’ll attempt to become a two-division champion when he takes on Islam Makhachev in the latter’s first title defense. The 34-year-old hasn’t lost since his fourth pro bout, and his undefeated record inside the UFC includes winning the promotion’s featherweight title along with four successful defenses of his belt.
One of the most interesting aspects of Volkanovski’s UFC run has been seeing how his style has changed over the years, and Hickman says the Australian’s wrestling skills are something that developed rapidly after they started working together.
Volkanovski has defended the UFC’s featherweight title four times. (David Yeazell/USA TODAY Sports)
“When I first met Volk it was probably four and a half years ago, five years ago,” Hickman told The AllStar. “And when we would wrestle – I’m not gonna say that I kinda like did what I want, but you know I was able to score points and stuff like that. Was able to ride him and keep him down easier than what I do now.
“And just over the years, he just picked up things and then it got to the point there where some of my old tricks that I would do just don’t work anymore on him. I find myself getting in these positions to where, before when I would have two, three different exit strategies, that window is shut. And that window shut a long time ago…It’s credit to Alex because he’s always willing to work at it, it’s something that he’s consistently wanted to work on and work at.”
Hickman Cites Training Partners As Asset For Volkanovski
Volkanovski has largely relied on his striking during his reign as the UFC’s featherweight champion, but there’s a good chance the wrestling he showed early in his UFC career will be tested when he takes on Makhachev at UFC 284.
A teammate of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has been largely dominant throughout his career aside from a first-round knockout loss to Adriano Martins in his second UFC bout. His grappling has overwhelmed the majority of the opponents he’s faced, and even Charles Oliveira fell victim to the 31-year-old’s mat skills when he was submitted in the second round at UFC 280 while attempting to defend his lightweight title.
The fact that Volkanovski will be moving up in weight is obviously a concern if he and Makhachev tie up, but Hickman knows the Australian is no stranger to grappling larger opponents.
Makhachev submitted Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to win the UFC’s lightweight title. (Zuffa LLC)
“Obviously now it’s much more difficult to wrestle him and stuff like that, so that’s why sometimes you gotta have a bigger body to do that so you could stand from the outside and watch and realize, ‘Damn, he has gotten tremendously better.’ And it’s not just from me, it’s also from other people that he’s wrestling… I think when you’re able to have different body styles and different body types that always is gonna help you also, because the more you experience that, the more situations you put yourself into, the more you’ll be ready for. Anytime you wrestle somebody – or same thing with sparring – you might see something you’ve never seen before.”
UFC 284 will take place in Perth, Western Australia and features a number of the UFC’s top Australian fighters. One of the few bouts to not include a local fighter is the co-main event between Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett, which will crown an interim featherweight champion while Volkanovski makes his foray up to lightweight.
What do you think of Hickman’s comments about how Volkanovski’s wrestling has developed?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
Volkanovski is set to headline UFC 284 in his native Australia, and he’ll attempt to become a two-division champion when he takes on Islam Makhachev in the latter’s first title defense. The 34-year-old hasn’t lost since his fourth pro bout, and his undefeated record inside the UFC includes winning the promotion’s featherweight title along with four successful defenses of his belt.
One of the most interesting aspects of Volkanovski’s UFC run has been seeing how his style has changed over the years, and Hickman says the Australian’s wrestling skills are something that developed rapidly after they started working together.
Volkanovski has defended the UFC’s featherweight title four times. (David Yeazell/USA TODAY Sports)
“When I first met Volk it was probably four and a half years ago, five years ago,” Hickman told The AllStar. “And when we would wrestle – I’m not gonna say that I kinda like did what I want, but you know I was able to score points and stuff like that. Was able to ride him and keep him down easier than what I do now.
“And just over the years, he just picked up things and then it got to the point there where some of my old tricks that I would do just don’t work anymore on him. I find myself getting in these positions to where, before when I would have two, three different exit strategies, that window is shut. And that window shut a long time ago…It’s credit to Alex because he’s always willing to work at it, it’s something that he’s consistently wanted to work on and work at.”
Hickman Cites Training Partners As Asset For Volkanovski
Volkanovski has largely relied on his striking during his reign as the UFC’s featherweight champion, but there’s a good chance the wrestling he showed early in his UFC career will be tested when he takes on Makhachev at UFC 284.
A teammate of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has been largely dominant throughout his career aside from a first-round knockout loss to Adriano Martins in his second UFC bout. His grappling has overwhelmed the majority of the opponents he’s faced, and even Charles Oliveira fell victim to the 31-year-old’s mat skills when he was submitted in the second round at UFC 280 while attempting to defend his lightweight title.
The fact that Volkanovski will be moving up in weight is obviously a concern if he and Makhachev tie up, but Hickman knows the Australian is no stranger to grappling larger opponents.
Makhachev submitted Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to win the UFC’s lightweight title. (Zuffa LLC)
“Obviously now it’s much more difficult to wrestle him and stuff like that, so that’s why sometimes you gotta have a bigger body to do that so you could stand from the outside and watch and realize, ‘Damn, he has gotten tremendously better.’ And it’s not just from me, it’s also from other people that he’s wrestling… I think when you’re able to have different body styles and different body types that always is gonna help you also, because the more you experience that, the more situations you put yourself into, the more you’ll be ready for. Anytime you wrestle somebody – or same thing with sparring – you might see something you’ve never seen before.”
UFC 284 will take place in Perth, Western Australia and features a number of the UFC’s top Australian fighters. One of the few bouts to not include a local fighter is the co-main event between Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett, which will crown an interim featherweight champion while Volkanovski makes his foray up to lightweight.
What do you think of Hickman’s comments about how Volkanovski’s wrestling has developed?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Alexander Volkanovski’s coach Frank Hickman recently detailed how the UFC featherweight champion has managed to make such tremendous strides as a wrestler during his fighting career.
Volkanovski is set to headline UFC 284 in his native Australia, and he’ll attempt to become a two-division champion when he takes on Islam Makhachev in the latter’s first title defense. The 34-year-old hasn’t lost since his fourth pro bout, and his undefeated record inside the UFC includes winning the promotion’s featherweight title along with four successful defenses of his belt.
One of the most interesting aspects of Volkanovski’s UFC run has been seeing how his style has changed over the years, and Hickman says the Australian’s wrestling skills are something that developed rapidly after they started working together.
“When I first met Volk it was probably four and a half years ago, five years ago,” Hickman told The AllStar. “And when we would wrestle – I’m not gonna say that I kinda like did what I want, but you know I was able to score points and stuff like that. Was able to ride him and keep him down easier than what I do now.
“And just over the years, he just picked up things and then it got to the point there where some of my old tricks that I would do just don’t work anymore on him. I find myself getting in these positions to where, before when I would have two, three different exit strategies, that window is shut. And that window shut a long time ago…It’s credit to Alex because he’s always willing to work at it, it’s something that he’s consistently wanted to work on and work at.”
Hickman Cites Training Partners As Asset For Volkanovski
Volkanovski has largely relied on his striking during his reign as the UFC’s featherweight champion, but there’s a good chance the wrestling he showed early in his UFC career will be tested when he takes on Makhachev at UFC 284.
A teammate of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has been largely dominant throughout his career aside from a first-round knockout loss to Adriano Martins in his second UFC bout. His grappling has overwhelmed the majority of the opponents he’s faced, and even Charles Oliveira fell victim to the 31-year-old’s mat skills when he was submitted in the second round at UFC 280 while attempting to defend his lightweight title.
The fact that Volkanovski will be moving up in weight is obviously a concern if he and Makhachev tie up, but Hickman knows the Australian is no stranger to grappling larger opponents.
“Obviously now it’s much more difficult to wrestle him and stuff like that, so that’s why sometimes you gotta have a bigger body to do that so you could stand from the outside and watch and realize, ‘Damn, he has gotten tremendously better.’ And it’s not just from me, it’s also from other people that he’s wrestling… I think when you’re able to have different body styles and different body types that always is gonna help you also, because the more you experience that, the more situations you put yourself into, the more you’ll be ready for. Anytime you wrestle somebody – or same thing with sparring – you might see something you’ve never seen before.”
UFC 284 will take place in Perth, Western Australia and features a number of the UFC’s top Australian fighters. One of the few bouts to not include a local fighter is the co-main event between Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett, which will crown an interim featherweight champion while Volkanovski makes his foray up to lightweight.
What do you think of Hickman’s comments about how Volkanovski’s wrestling has developed?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
