Alexander Volkanovski was not the only one standing on the brink of a life-altering test this April. Earlier this month, ‘The Soul Taker’ aka Tim Tszyu was also at the edge of a fight that could make or break his career. After losing two back-to-back fights against Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev, Tszyu took on Joey Spencer at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Newcastle, Australia on April 6. Guess what? Just like ‘Volk’ redeemed himself, the Aussie boxer too, came back to the winning column by defeating Spencer.

The Aussie duo had similar predicaments before their life-changing fights recently. So what did Volkanovski do to motivate his fellow countryman? ‘The Great’ reached out to provide some much-needed motivation. Alongside a photo of them together, Tszyu posted a screenshot of the message that the UFC champ sent him.

Here’s what the UFC undisputed featherweight champion wrote, “Hey brother, I’m sure you’re disappointed right now, but you’re still a beast and still got plenty of time. I know you’ll be back. You never shy away from a challenge, and that mindset is why I know you’ll bounce back better than ever. We wouldn’t be half the men we are if we didn’t challenge ourselves every day. Like I said, you still have plenty of time in this sport to work on what is needed. Enjoy some rest, brother, and get back at it.”

For the 25-2-0 former WBO junior middleweight champion, this motivation was enough, it seems, as he won the fight spectacularly on his home turf in Australia. Before the duo stepped into their respective arenas to fight, they spoke to Fox Sports Australia about each other. Volkanovski said the following about his boxer friend, “While I know he’s coming off a couple of losses like myself, some of the criticism he’s copping is just unfair. Still, we now have the chance to get out there and change those opinions. So for anyone to say Tim Tszyu is done … it is silly.”

Tszyu, meanwhile, revealed he has used Volkanovski as inspiration for his preparations against Spencer. “I’ve always looked up to Volk and the way he’s done things,” Tszyu articulated. “His work ethic, his professionalism, even his dedication to family … it’s a lot.” After Volkanovski’s win, ‘The Soul Taker’ congratulated ‘The Great’, saying, “Glad to see @alexvolkanovski back on top. When I lost my last fight, he gave me nothing but support. He’s a true ambassador for never giving up and getting back up after being knocked down.”

Now that Volkanovski has regained the title, he is not planning on stopping anytime soon, at least not because of his age. He recently resorted to pressuring Dana White with his demand.

Alexander Volkanovski asked Dana White for a huge goal

Volkanovski is pretty keen on fighting Movsar Evloev next, as the latter has come a long way since he joined the UFC in 2019. The Dagestani featherweight remains undefeated with 19-0, last beating Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310. “He’s undefeated. I like the fact that he’s undefeated and still one of the younger generation again,” Alexander Volkanovski told Fox News Australia. “For the legacy, that would still mean so much. But you’re right. Is that what the fans want? Is that what the UFC wants? I don’t know. I’m gonna need to talk to them. We’ll see what happens.”

This is a pretty bold request from the featherweight champion, given Evloev is young fighter from Dagestani, loss, with incredible grappling skills. But will UFC grant his wish?

Well, Movsar Evloev doesn’t think so and stated the same to MMA Junkie. He had counted Volkanovski out after the latter lost two consecutive fights, but UFC 314 restored his faith in the champ. But he also mentioned that UFC might not give him a chance with the champ since the“only thing they can talk [about] is just I have no finish.”

Besides, Movsar Evloev has mentioned that he would not resort to beg Dana White for a title shot. But if Volkanovski asks for him as the opponent, will the UFC top-brass grant that wish? What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.