UFC 325’s main event between Alexander Volkanovksi and Diego Lopes was nearly a carbon copy of their first fight at UFC 314, which is what everyone expected considering less than a year had passed between Lopes’ first and second attempt to solve the Volk puzzle. What we didn’t expect was the ending of the fight, which saw Volkanovski sit on Lopes’ face while amping the crowd up with a raised fist.
It was a funny moment, and definitely one of those odd positions that make non-MMA fans give us UFC enjoyers some serious side-eye. A little disrespectful on Volkanovski’s part? Maybe a little, but according to the Australian champ, he didn’t realize his butt was actually on Lopes’ head.
In a new video on his YouTube channel, Volkanovski explained how an escape from a leg lock attempt led to the awkward position.
“I wasn’t too worried, I just knew that I would end up on top and that’s exactly what happened,” he explained. “That’s when we end up in that position when I was sort of sitting on his face, which was pretty funny. And again, I was there. I was like, ‘I’m going to end up on top here. I’m winning.’ He’s holding on to me here. There’s not much he can do.”
“I didn’t realize my my ass was actually on his face,” he added. “I thought that I was sitting on his chest. That’s why I’m trying to swing back these punches thinking his head’s there and I’m like, ‘Why aren’t I hitting his head?’ Because I was literally sitting on his face. So I thought his head was maybe a little bit further out. So I apologize for that. Lopes, I didn’t know I was sitting on your face.”
“But yeah, he went for the leg and then I knew I’d get out of that and I knew there wasn’t long left and I thought I’d throw a couple of bombs and finish on top and and there it was.”
Add that to the ‘These things happen in MMA’ pile, folks.