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UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev believes that Alexander Volkanovski will learn about his insurmountable wrestling game the hard way — just like Dan Hooker.
This weekend, Makhachev will look to add the first successful defense to his reign as 155-pound king, which began when he dominated former titleholder Charles Oliveira in Abu Dhabi last October.
While he secured the throne in front of a supportive crowd, that’ll be far from the case on Saturday, when he collides with Australia’s Volkanovski in Perth. As well as Makhachev’s gold being on the line, the featherweight champ’s top spot on the pound-for-pound ladder will also be up for grabs.
Heading into UFC 284, Volkanovski had made a firm note of those who are doubting his chances of two-division glory. The consensus surrounding the Russian’s advantages has been reflected in the odds, with Volkanovski sat as a sizable underdog on most sportsbooks.
In response, the Aussie has repeatedly promised to shock his detractors by displaying a solid takedown defense and surprising ability to avoid being bogged down by Makhachev’s smothering wrestling game.
For the lightweight king, though, that claim sounds somewhat similar.
Makhachev Looks To Repeat UFC 267 Feat Versus Volkanovski
At UFC 267 in 2021, Islam Makhachev secured the biggest scalp of his career to that point, adding the name of perennial contender Dan Hooker to his blossoming résumé. Ahead of the contest, “The Hangman” didn’t show a lack of self-belief, claiming he was looking forward to making his fans some money by upsetting the odds.
With Hooker’s City Kickboxing teammate exuding a similar air of confidence ahead of his champ-champ challenge, Makhachev is expecting to bring Volkanovski back down to Earth in a similar fashion to how he dealt with the New Zealander.
“I think this is big mistake for him,” Makhachev told MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn. “Like his teammate Dan Hooker, he talked the same things, ‘I’m gonna get up.’ But, after first one (takedown), he not get up. He just stopped. Somebody said, ‘Alex, it’s hard to finish him.’ But if he not gonna tap, I’ll break him or he’s gonna sleep, for sure… I want to knock him out.”
A year after dispatching Hooker handily in Abu Dhabi, the Dagestani had the lightweight gold wrapped around his waist in the same arena owing to a similarly emphatic display over Oliveira.
Now, the 31-year-old will look to add the name of another CKB standout to his record.
What have you made of Alexander Volkanovski’s confidence leading up to his fight against Islam Makhachev?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev believes that Alexander Volkanovski will learn about his insurmountable wrestling game the hard way — just like Dan Hooker.
This weekend, Makhachev will look to add the first successful defense to his reign as 155-pound king, which began when he dominated former titleholder Charles Oliveira in Abu Dhabi last October.
While he secured the throne in front of a supportive crowd, that’ll be far from the case on Saturday, when he collides with Australia’s Volkanovski in Perth. As well as Makhachev’s gold being on the line, the featherweight champ’s top spot on the pound-for-pound ladder will also be up for grabs.
Heading into UFC 284, Volkanovski had made a firm note of those who are doubting his chances of two-division glory. The consensus surrounding the Russian’s advantages has been reflected in the odds, with Volkanovski sat as a sizable underdog on most sportsbooks.
In response, the Aussie has repeatedly promised to shock his detractors by displaying a solid takedown defense and surprising ability to avoid being bogged down by Makhachev’s smothering wrestling game.
For the lightweight king, though, that claim sounds somewhat similar.
Makhachev Looks To Repeat UFC 267 Feat Versus Volkanovski
At UFC 267 in 2021, Islam Makhachev secured the biggest scalp of his career to that point, adding the name of perennial contender Dan Hooker to his blossoming résumé. Ahead of the contest, “The Hangman” didn’t show a lack of self-belief, claiming he was looking forward to making his fans some money by upsetting the odds.
With Hooker’s City Kickboxing teammate exuding a similar air of confidence ahead of his champ-champ challenge, Makhachev is expecting to bring Volkanovski back down to Earth in a similar fashion to how he dealt with the New Zealander.
“I think this is big mistake for him,” Makhachev told MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn. “Like his teammate Dan Hooker, he talked the same things, ‘I’m gonna get up.’ But, after first one (takedown), he not get up. He just stopped. Somebody said, ‘Alex, it’s hard to finish him.’ But if he not gonna tap, I’ll break him or he’s gonna sleep, for sure… I want to knock him out.”
[/quote]
A year after dispatching Hooker handily in Abu Dhabi, the Dagestani had the lightweight gold wrapped around his waist in the same arena owing to a similarly emphatic display over Oliveira.
Now, the 31-year-old will look to add the name of another CKB standout to his record.
What have you made of Alexander Volkanovski’s confidence leading up to his fight against Islam Makhachev?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
This weekend, Makhachev will look to add the first successful defense to his reign as 155-pound king, which began when he dominated former titleholder Charles Oliveira in Abu Dhabi last October.
While he secured the throne in front of a supportive crowd, that’ll be far from the case on Saturday, when he collides with Australia’s Volkanovski in Perth. As well as Makhachev’s gold being on the line, the featherweight champ’s top spot on the pound-for-pound ladder will also be up for grabs.
Heading into UFC 284, Volkanovski had made a firm note of those who are doubting his chances of two-division glory. The consensus surrounding the Russian’s advantages has been reflected in the odds, with Volkanovski sat as a sizable underdog on most sportsbooks.
In response, the Aussie has repeatedly promised to shock his detractors by displaying a solid takedown defense and surprising ability to avoid being bogged down by Makhachev’s smothering wrestling game.
For the lightweight king, though, that claim sounds somewhat similar.
Makhachev Looks To Repeat UFC 267 Feat Versus Volkanovski
At UFC 267 in 2021, Islam Makhachev secured the biggest scalp of his career to that point, adding the name of perennial contender Dan Hooker to his blossoming résumé. Ahead of the contest, “The Hangman” didn’t show a lack of self-belief, claiming he was looking forward to making his fans some money by upsetting the odds.
With Hooker’s City Kickboxing teammate exuding a similar air of confidence ahead of his champ-champ challenge, Makhachev is expecting to bring Volkanovski back down to Earth in a similar fashion to how he dealt with the New Zealander.
“I think this is big mistake for him,” Makhachev told MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn. “Like his teammate Dan Hooker, he talked the same things, ‘I’m gonna get up.’ But, after first one (takedown), he not get up. He just stopped. Somebody said, ‘Alex, it’s hard to finish him.’ But if he not gonna tap, I’ll break him or he’s gonna sleep, for sure… I want to knock him out.”
A year after dispatching Hooker handily in Abu Dhabi, the Dagestani had the lightweight gold wrapped around his waist in the same arena owing to a similarly emphatic display over Oliveira.
Now, the 31-year-old will look to add the name of another CKB standout to his record.
What have you made of Alexander Volkanovski’s confidence leading up to his fight against Islam Makhachev?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
This weekend, Makhachev will look to add the first successful defense to his reign as 155-pound king, which began when he dominated former titleholder Charles Oliveira in Abu Dhabi last October.
While he secured the throne in front of a supportive crowd, that’ll be far from the case on Saturday, when he collides with Australia’s Volkanovski in Perth. As well as Makhachev’s gold being on the line, the featherweight champ’s top spot on the pound-for-pound ladder will also be up for grabs.
Heading into UFC 284, Volkanovski had made a firm note of those who are doubting his chances of two-division glory. The consensus surrounding the Russian’s advantages has been reflected in the odds, with Volkanovski sat as a sizable underdog on most sportsbooks.
In response, the Aussie has repeatedly promised to shock his detractors by displaying a solid takedown defense and surprising ability to avoid being bogged down by Makhachev’s smothering wrestling game.
For the lightweight king, though, that claim sounds somewhat similar.
Makhachev Looks To Repeat UFC 267 Feat Versus Volkanovski
At UFC 267 in 2021, Islam Makhachev secured the biggest scalp of his career to that point, adding the name of perennial contender Dan Hooker to his blossoming résumé. Ahead of the contest, “The Hangman” didn’t show a lack of self-belief, claiming he was looking forward to making his fans some money by upsetting the odds.
With Hooker’s City Kickboxing teammate exuding a similar air of confidence ahead of his champ-champ challenge, Makhachev is expecting to bring Volkanovski back down to Earth in a similar fashion to how he dealt with the New Zealander.
“I think this is big mistake for him,” Makhachev told MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn. “Like his teammate Dan Hooker, he talked the same things, ‘I’m gonna get up.’ But, after first one (takedown), he not get up. He just stopped. Somebody said, ‘Alex, it’s hard to finish him.’ But if he not gonna tap, I’ll break him or he’s gonna sleep, for sure… I want to knock him out.”
[/quote]
A year after dispatching Hooker handily in Abu Dhabi, the Dagestani had the lightweight gold wrapped around his waist in the same arena owing to a similarly emphatic display over Oliveira.
Now, the 31-year-old will look to add the name of another CKB standout to his record.
What have you made of Alexander Volkanovski’s confidence leading up to his fight against Islam Makhachev?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
