“Adversity is privilege.” This quote by Alexander Volkanovski became iconic after he reclaimed the featherweight belt at UFC 314. It’s never easy for a fighter to bounce back from a brutal knockout, but the Aussie managed to overcome two of them before defeating Diego Lopes in Miami this year. Still, even after a stellar comeback, ‘The Great’ admits he’s haunted by what went down in Abu Dhabi two years ago.

When Charles Oliveira pulled out of UFC 294, Volkanovski stepped in against Islam Makhachev on just 11 days’ notice. Their first clash at UFC 284 in Australia had been a razor-close technical battle. So many expected another classic. Instead, the former 155lbs king landed a perfectly timed head kick in front of a roaring Abu Dhabi crowd. That strike left the 145-pound king w

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