Australian boxer Tim Tszyu has revealed that UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski reached out with words of encouragement following his devastating loss last year.
Tszyu, who recently bounced back from consecutive defeats with a dominant TKO victory over Joey Spencer in Newcastle, shared that Volkanovski sent him a supportive direct message after his crushing defeat to Bakhram Murtazaliev in October.
According to Tszyu, Volkanovski’s message read: “Hey brother, I’m sure you’re disappointed right now but you 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 everyday. Like I said, you still got plenty of time in this sport to work on what is needed. Enjoy some rest brother and get back at it 👊”
The supportive gesture from one of Australia’s most accomplished UFC champions clearly resonated with Tszyu, who has faced significant career adversity over the past year.
Tszyu’s victory over Spencer on April 6 was a critical comeback moment. After losing his world title to Sebastian Fundora in a bloody contest and then suffering a knockout loss to Murtazaliev, Tszyu knew another defeat would have been catastrophic for his career prospects.
“I couldn’t do a third consecutive loss,” Tszyu admitted after dismantling Spencer. “I hope I taught people that when you drop and hit the floor, and the s**t hits the fan, you can get back to the top. The critics are always going to be there but I proved it to myself, I proved it to everyone in the world, but I’m back, baby, I’m back.”
The 29-year-old boxer showed remarkable composure against Spencer, abandoning the headhunting approach that backfired against Murtazaliev. Instead, Tszyu employed a measured gameplan, using his jab effectively and gradually breaking down his opponent before securing the fourth-round TKO victory.
CompuBox stats revealed Tszyu’s dominance, as he landed 81 punches to Spencer’s 25, including 59 power shots to his opponent’s 17.
Following the victory, Tszyu wasted no time calling out potential opponents. “Sign the contract, big boy,” he challenged Keith Thurman, suggesting a potential mega-event in Australia. He also expressed interest in a rematch with Sebastian Fundora, who took his world title.
The support from Volkanovski appears to have been part of Tszyu’s motivation during his comeback journey. Both athletes represent Australia on the global stage in their respective combat sports, and this cross-discipline solidarity highlights the mutual respect among elite fighters.
