{"id":60211,"date":"2024-02-19T09:34:30","date_gmt":"2024-02-18T23:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/?p=60211"},"modified":"2024-02-21T13:19:04","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T03:19:04","slug":"even-at-the-pub-watching-volk-lose-at-ufc298-you-still-couldnt-shake-it-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/2024\/02\/even-at-the-pub-watching-volk-lose-at-ufc298-you-still-couldnt-shake-it-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Even at the pub watching Volk lose at UFC298 you still couldn&#8217;t shake it off."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We had a drink with our girlfriends in Richmond before they watched their favourite star perform in a global coronation of the biggest pop star of our lifetime. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Anywhere you looked, people young and old wore bejeweled and bedazzled dresses for Taylor. She is a superstar of enormous global consequences. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Taylormania has spilled into a second night at the MCG, with 96,000 buzzing Swifties packing into the stadium on Saturday and the pop sensation declaring she felt like she had \u201cwon a contest\u201d to be there. See the videos: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mVHFNdOvij\">https:\/\/t.co\/mVHFNdOvij<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/drpvVetME6\">pic.twitter.com\/drpvVetME6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Herald Sun (@theheraldsun) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/theheraldsun\/status\/1758989741184405814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 17, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We went and watched Alex Volkanovski at a different pub up the road full of mostly men in hats and one woman who was on what looked to be a third date with a second husband. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">After Volk was knocked out, we spewed out onto Bridge Rd quickly only to be greeted with the fact that nobody knew that a long-reigning king, Australian-born, had been dethroned.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AndNew?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AndNew<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Topuriailia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@TopuriaIlia<\/a> is the UFC FW Champion \ud83c\udfc6 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jaZc6JqIC3\">pic.twitter.com\/jaZc6JqIC3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UFC_AUSNZ\/status\/1759095796165656950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 18, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And yet for us in that pub the stakes were as big as they were in the stadium up the road. Where they left euphoric and surrounded by like-minded Swifties who were just as excited by the surprise songs and couldn\u2019t wait to talk about them, we left disappointed and unacknowledged.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Such is the lot of someone who worships a superstar whose stardom is confined to a lunchbox.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Volkanovski appeared to be the more relaxed man in the face of what looked to be yet another discount Conor McGregor. Topuria went even further than just using Conor lines. He parted his hair like Conor, he cut his beard like Conor, he even copied Conor\u2019s back tattoo.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Champ is here! \ud83c\udfc6<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/alexvolkanovski?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@AlexVolkanovski<\/a> cool, calm and collected. <\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcfa\ud83d\udcf1<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/UFC298?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#UFC298<\/a> | Order at Link in Bio <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ezgpzjit0T\">pic.twitter.com\/Ezgpzjit0T<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UFC_AUSNZ\/status\/1759063210949570697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 18, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Volk with his old man schtick and always Australian ethic of underplaying himself and the gravity of the situation seemed like the perfect antidote to Topuria\u2019s reheated shenanigans. It appeared obvious that this wasn\u2019t a McGregor v Aldo situation where McGregor took up residence in Aldo\u2019s head and would only give the space back when his left hand put Aldo to sleep.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It seemed like Volk was perfectly built to beat the UFC\u2019s handpicked successor. The set-up of the fight was classic combat sports: the young lion versus the grizzled legend. Usually, they book this type of fight as the young guy is peaking and the old guy is just starting to slide. You book this fight to give the young guy the credibility of the old guy\u2019s name.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Think of Joshua v Klitschko or De La Hoya v Chavez or even McGregor v Aldo. But it doesn\u2019t always work. Sometimes the old guy gets home. Think that first Stipe v Ngannou fight, for instance.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I truly felt that this fight was going to be one of those times.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When they walked out, I became even more confident.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Topuria came out <\/span><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">looking<\/span><\/i><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> like he was fighting for the UFC Featherweight championship. The gravity of the situation was written all over his face. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Volkanovski walked out with a smile and a billionaire. It was a king returning to the kingdom he had ruled for so long, even after failed invasions elsewhere. At featherweight, Volkanovski felt more comfortable than he did at lightweight and it showed. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud835\udd7f\ud835\udd8d\ud835\udd8a \ud835\udd72\ud835\udd97\ud835\udd8a\ud835\udd86\ud835\udd99! \ud83d\udc51<\/p>\n<p>The FW Champ <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/alexvolkanovski?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@AlexVolkanovski<\/a> is ready to silence the doubters! \ud83c\udfc6 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/UFC298?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#UFC298<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gaJazMnIaq\">pic.twitter.com\/gaJazMnIaq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UFC_AUSNZ\/status\/1759090309407854783?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 18, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In the fight, it was clear that Volkanovski had brought a peashooter to a bazooka fight. Topuria\u2019s power, as we all knew, was far greater than Volkanovski\u2019s, especially in that right hand. But Volkanovski smartly circled away from Topuria\u2019s right hand more often than he didn\u2019t. When Topuria landed a big leg kick, Volkanovski went southpaw for a time. Then swapped back.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">All the while he was landing shots methodically.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Volk looked like he always looked. He changed the picture in front of the younger man. He was outthinking the younger man. He wasn\u2019t going to win on physicality alone and he knew it. He sought to confuse Topuria.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">He probably snuck the first round, and was winning the second. Even if Topuria landed more significant blows, he landed very few of them. The old man was outworking and outthinking his younger counterpart.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/nelkboys\/status\/1759235037453771093?s=20<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Then it was over.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Volkanovski figured he was fighting a Tattaglia, a pimp. It was Barzini all along.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">An atomic right hand, after a flurry of no consequence, landed on the button and turned off the lights. Topuria\u2019s right hand, and his ability to hunt it down and walk his opponents into it, is reminiscent of a certain Irishman\u2019s. I\u2019ll give Ilia that.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">After the pub celebrated Volkanovski\u2019s walk out, danced along to \u2018Man Down Under\u2019, exclaimed at seeing Mark Zuckerberg, being there, and cheered every time Volk landed something of consequence, it was like someone took a vacuum to the place. Hand were on heads. Mouths were agape.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The third date in front of us couldn\u2019t believe what they were seeing, though they were not deflated enough to remove their palms from each other\u2019s derrieres.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The pub was silent. The fifth-longest championship reign in UFC men\u2019s history was over. One of the greatest featherweight champions in history was finished. Our king had been dethroned. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In our world, something enormous has happened. But outside of Taylor Swift, there is no monoculture anymore. The global population can now be broken down into a series of disparate interests. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Alexander Volkanovski is a genuine superstar to a large sect of people, but leaving that pub after we all had our hearts ripped out, showed how small that sect is in the scheme of everyone.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Like what you read from our hard-hitting columnist?<br \/>\nFollow\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/guywholikesspo1\">@Guywholikessport<\/a>\u00a0on Twitter or check out his\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/guywholikessport.wixsite.com\/guywholikessport\">FULL BLOG HERE\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":60217,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8298,598,344,463],"tags":[8638,8260,1206,3281,3094,36,8594,503,8637],"hub_post_cat":[],"class_list":["post-60211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guywholikessport","category-special-interest","category-sports","category-ufc","tag-alex-volkanovski","tag-guywholikessport","tag-melbourne","tag-mma","tag-opinion","tag-special-interest","tag-taylor-swift","tag-ufc","tag-ufc298"],"acf":{"md_tip_date":null,"md_tip_date_end":null,"md_market_url":"","tip_date":"19\/02\/2024","event_country":"Australia"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60211\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60211"},{"taxonomy":"hub_post_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hub_post_cat?post=60211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}