It’s the final countdown before the super fight, and Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski have been trading venomous comments in the days building up to it.
Alexander Volkanovski wants his due for fighting up a weightclass at #UFC284 — ‘I’m the guy taking the risks’#MMA #UFC https://t.co/ZHD4OroTI9 pic.twitter.com/GP70xdoajm
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) February 7, 2023
The fight between Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev is one of the most anticipated in recent UFC history. Each press conference and pre-fight meetup has seen heated exchanges between the two combatants.
The Dagestani MMA fighter plans to exploit his legendary wrestling prowess in his once-in-a-lifetime showdown against The Great. Islam reveals his plan on the UFC countdown, saying, “Volkanovski, I’m going to make him tired. Bring him into the deep ocean and finish him there,”
Islam participated in a virtual interview with UFC commentator Daniel Cormier, during which he stated that while he is a good wrestler according to many, he will undoubtedly have an advantage over Volkanovski because wrestling is not as popular in Australia as it is in other countries.
“All my opponents say I’m gonna stop his wrestling he not going to take me down but brother Australia doesn’t have wrestling. That’s why I don’t care. Alex, if you are a good wrestler and have a good defense, you can go to the Olympic games from Australia.” said Islam.
The current UFC Featherweight Champion responded by bashing Islam, claiming that they are competing in mixed martial arts (MMA), not wrestling, and that even if they were competing in wrestling, he would not be terrified because he had already won a national championship in wrestling once.
“I was actually the national champion… As you said, this is MMA. We all know your hope is to try and grab a hold of me and hold me down. And if that doesn’t work, we know how uncomfortable you’re gonna be in there.” said Volkanovski.
Les parcours d'Alexander Volkanovski et d'Islam Makhachev avant leur affrontement à l'#UFC284 ! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/d20OLUoHj4
— La Sueur (@LaSueur_off) February 3, 2023
The lightweight fight will take place at UFC 284 on February 11th.
