Alexander Volkanovski Rips Shirt Off After Pushing For Presser Faceoff With Korean Zombie

UPDATE (April 8, 2022 4:23PM ET): Heavyweight bout between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Marcin Tybura has been removed from the event due to illness, ESPN reported.

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski wanted a faceoff with the Korean Zombie at the UFC 273 press conference, even though that wasn’t part of the agenda.

Volkanovski took the mic and said, “supposedly we’re not allowed to do any faceoffs, or something. But let’s give the crowd what they want – I want to do faceoff with Zombie if we can do that.”

UFC commentator Jon Anik was filling in for UFC President Dana White – who was traveling on Thursday – said, “That is fine” due to the lack of bad blood between the two.

After the two were face-to-face, Volkanovski turned to the crowd and ripped open his shirt as he yelled, “Let’s go!”

But then when the co-main event, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and interim champion Petr Yan, tried to do the same, security officials intervened.

Sterling and Yan have had tension brewing ever since Sterling became champion after Yan landed an illegal knee and was disqualified.

Volkanovski will make his third defense of his featherweight title. He was originally scheduled for an anticipated fight against ex-champion Max Holloway in a trilogy match, but Holloway suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw.

Chan Sung Jung, who is better known as “The Korean Zombie,” is the No. 7 ranked featherweight in MMA Fighting Global Rankings where Volkanovski is No. 1.

Jung fought 10 months ago where he scored a decision win over Dan Ige.

UFC 273 will kick off on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET for the preliminaries.