Alex Volkanovski to challenge champ Yusuke Yachi for PXC title

AFC featherweight champion, Alex Volkanovki will return to Guam where he will challenge current champion, Japanese fighter Yusuke Yachi for the PXC featherweight title. Fellow Australian Dan Hyatt will also make his international debut on the card.

The event, Pacific Xtreme Combat 49 will take place at the University of Guam Fieldhouse in Pacific nation of Guam on August 7.

Volkanovski splits his time training between the Freestyle Fight Gym in Windang and the Tiger Muay Thai gym in Phuket. The 26 year-old is riding a seven fight win streak and it will be his second bout in the promotion. Volkanovski defeated Kyle Reyes by unanimous decision at PXC 45 last October.

“Not long after Yusuke Yachi defeated the former PXC champ for the belt I was informed and pleased that I would be fighting for the featherweight title”, Volkanovski told Fight News Australia.

Twenty-five year-old Yusuke Yachi trains out of the Krazy Bee gym in Tokyo, Japan under UFC fighter Norifumi Yamamoto. He claimed the 143 lbs Shooto Rookie title back in 2009. Yusuke also captured the Shooto Pacific-Rim title before signing with Pacifix Xtreme Combat where he has gone 3-1.

Stylistically, Volkanovski gives Yachi a lot of respect but is confident he will be able to bring the title back to Australia. 

“He (Yusuke Yachi) has a good record and is a highly ranked fighter.” 

“I’ve viewed a few videos of his fights and can see he is a perfect match-up for me,” Volkanvski added.

“I definitely got off to a slower start than I would of liked this year as I was finding it difficult to find opponents etc but winning my pro debut boxing match and taking the AFC Featherweight title has up for it.”

With the UFC hosting a pay-per-view event in Melbourne this November, Volkanovski’s sights are clear.

“For the second half of 2015, I would obviously like to take out the PXC Featherweight World Title before getting signed and make my UFC debut on the Melbourne card.”

“That is what I’m aiming for! It would definitely make this my most successful year ever,” Volkanovski commented. 

A win over Yachi will take Volkanovski’s win streak to eight wins and a call-up from the UFC match-makers surely not too far away.

Fellow Australian fighter Dan Enson Hyatt has also revealed that he will be making his international debut on the card. Hyatt, who is also the co-promoter of Valor, trains out of the Westside MMA gym in Melbourne. The 27-year-old will face Guam local and PXC regular Tyrone “Bones” Jones.