It's not just the humble Freestyle MMA digs on Windang Road in which he's built his career, it's the desire he has for a long reign at the top of one the sport's genuine marquee divisions.

It's why, despite some high-profile callouts, he's not interested in chasing PPV money in cross division fights and leaving a whole weight class, his weight class, stuck at the traffic lights.

READ MORE: Fight Island awaits for featherweight champion Volkanovski

"I said as soon as I won the belt I'm not going to be chasing anyone else, I'm not holding up any divisions, I want to be a great champion and defend against all the contenders," Volkanovski said.

"Guys who deserve that shot, they're going to get it. I had to do it that way and that's how it's always been. That's how it works and how it should be. I'm not going to go chasing other divisions and I'm adamant about that.

"If it comes to me... different story and we'll play it by ear, but I'm going to make sure I'm in my division taking on the contenders. I'm all about that. [Former champion] Max Holloway was the same, so was Jose Aldo. Whoever was next, that's who they fought.

"This division has had great champions, maybe not Conor McGregor, he did everything but defend his belt, but that's what I plan on doing. People are chasing [multiple] divisions, chasing money fights but, at the end of the day, people remember winners.

"If you want to be the greatest of all time you need defences. You can do this or that, it doesn't mean much until you defend."

He'll be looking to do just that when he meets Holloway for the second time at UFC 251 on July 12, a rematch of their December title bout that ended with a unanimous decision victory to the Wollongong native.

Should he reproduce that performance, or better it, he'll be looking to emulate great long-reigning champions of the past and write his name into the history books.

"You look at the guys who are considered the GOAT's, your Anderson Silva's, Demetrius Johnson, GSP's... why? Because they were dominant in their division for so long," Volkanovski said.

"It's a crazy sport, someone can land a lucky punch, you can have a bad day, a bad weight cut. There's so many things that can wrong because this is MMA.

"To stay on top for so long really shows you're really at the top of your game and time. Times are changing, I understand that but for me I want to defend the belt and I want to be remembered as the best featherweight of all time."

Preparing to fight on Fight Island, a quarantined outpost on the edge of Abi Dhabi, will be different to any preparation he's had for a UFC bout, but it only takes a quick look around the Freestyle gym to know the 31-year-old hasn't built his career with all the bells and whistles.

"At the end of the day it's hard work, you don't need fancy things," he said.

"What we have here is more than enough, we've got a world champion coming out of this gym. That just proves it. A lot of people used to tell me 'you need to go here, you need to go there' but no we don't.

"We did it here, we did it together and it's something that we're proud of. I'll be here til the the day I finish fighting."