While it’s easier for the UFC to market stars with big, flashy personalities, the company made a strategic effort to still promote Alexander Volkanovski, the featherweight champion.
Volkanovski, who hasn’t made the cut at 145 pounds since entering the UFC in 2016, is currently the No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter on the roster. He nearly defeated 155-pound lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in February, as he attempted to hold belts in two different weight classes simultaneously.
The UFC annually produces one of its strongest cards during International Fight Week, a weeklong showcase in Las Vegas that includes events such as the UFC Hall of Fame induction. The main events for International Fight Week cards in the past have included Conor McGregor, Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya, stars with personas that seem more brash than Volkanovski’s even demeanor.
By putting Volkanovski against interim featherweight champion Yair Rodríguez in this slot, the UFC has indicated that it believes Volkanovski’s star power is enough to carry one if the marquee events. Volkanovski said he honored that even though he didn’t talk unnecessary trash or change his character.
“It just shows where we’re going that we’re clearly pushing the needle enough to get to the position we’re in, and I’ve been able to be myself throughout the process,” Volkanovski said in an interview. “I’m trying to inspire a lot of people and I think it’s working.”
