Alexander Volkanovski is more confident than ever that he will be the next UFC featherweight champion after watching UFC 240’s main event between Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar.

After weighing in to serve as a backup fighter for the main event, Volkanovski turned out to be another spectator for the featherweight title fight. And much like the fans at home and in attendance, he got to play judge and score the fight. In doing so, his tally came out to be a lot closer than one of the 50-45 scorecards illustrates:

“I actually thought that was a really close,” Volkanovski told MMA Fighting. “Sitting on the sidelines there, I thought it was a bit closer than what the judges scored, 50-45. I thought Frankie might have won some rounds. Definitely competitive I thought.”

Volkanovski believes that if it were him on the other side of the Octagon from Max Holloway instead of Edgar this past Saturday, he would have been more suitable to nullify Holloway’s approach and implement his own game plan en route to featherweight gold:

“I’m actually comfortable a little bit out of range as well. I like to pick my times when to come in,” Volkanovski continued “I’m very comfortable in the pocket as well. He likes to really pour it on and you’ve seen when he’s really in your face, really trying to suffocate you, and give you that claustrophobic feeling but Frankie didn’t really crumble there and I know I won’t and I know I can handle that pace and I know I’m very powerful.

“So if you want to come at me with that sort of game plan, I feel I’m pretty explosive and powerful,” Volkanovski continued. “I feel I can do a lot more damage and again, I’ve got my wrestling background. Max is a true champion. I enjoy watching him fight but I want to get that fight. I want it.

“I just want to work my game and I believe I can do that.”