Islam Makhachev has candidly discussed a huge issue that he had right before setting foot inside the octagon with Alexander Volkanovksi for the first time.
The pair of MMA legends put on a fight for the ages on February 12, 2023, at UFC 284 inside the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Islam Makhachev says he didn’t have time to recover from the weigh-in for his first fight with Alexander Volkanovski
In one of the highest-quality match-ups in UFC history, Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski put on an incredible show.
The icons traded powerful shots in a clash that left fans on the edge of their seats.
Over the course of five dramatic rounds, momentum ebbed and flowed, with each man having to take enormous blows before coming back with their own.
In the end, it was the Russian who walked away the victor, despite the fact that his preparation for the bout didn’t exactly go to plan.
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In an interview with Demetrious Johnson on the flyweight legend’s YouTube channel, he explained: “First time, if you ask me what the fight you have a very bad recovery after the weigh-in, everything in this fight, because we travel to Australia, and they made the beginning of the event five in the morning. They make this show for US time; it’s crazy.
“They don’t give me time for recovery. Volk didn’t need it; he was going up from 145 lbs. That day was a bad day. I didn’t recover much.”
Several months later, the Dagestani had the opportunity to set the record straight, rendering his rival unconscious with a thunderous head kick at UFC 294.
Makhachev beamed: “When they called me and told me Volk is jumping into the UFC in Abu Dhabi, they’ve changed Charles Oliveira, I was very happy.
“I know I have to close the old question because too many people were talking about the first fight. I was very happy.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev miss out as UFC icon names shock lightweight GOAT
The second victory over Volkanovksi was nothing short of massive for Makhachev, with many subsequently putting him in the discussion, alongside his friend, Khabib Nurmagomedov, as potentially the best fighter the 155-pound division has ever seen.
The Russian superstars have changed the game, utilizing their tremendous Sambo skills to scale the MMA mountain.
However, as good as they both are, another UFC fan favorite believes there’s one other man who deserves to be called the greatest lightweight of all time.
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