UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (31, Russia) sent a warning message to Alexander Volkanovski (35, Australia), the pound for pound (P4P) and featherweight champion.
Makhachev will defend his lightweight title against Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 284 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on the 12th.
Volkanovski overpowered all his recent opponents with blows.
In April of last year, he faced Chan-sung Jeong at UFC 273 and won by TKO in the 4th round after a one-sided fight. Max Holloway, considered one of the greatest fighters in featherweight history, was no exception. Volkanovski defeated Holloway three times, and the third game held in July last year was the difference between an adult and a child.
But Makachev said he was on a different level than Volkanovski’s past opponents.
He said, “I’m a player with a different style from Volkanovski’s past opponents. I’m different from Holloway, who just followed Volkanovski instead of going head-on like Chan-sung Jung. I have other plans, and I always have my own plans.” I finish my opponent according to that,” he shouted.
Makachev’s primary weapon is grappling. Raised in a mountain village in the Republic of Dagestan in the Russian Federation, Makachev began wrestling and training in sambo with former 29-fight and undefeated UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at the age of eight. Makachev, who put grappling at the forefront, won a gold medal at the World Sambo Championships in 2016 and became the UFC lightweight champion in 2022.
Makhachev boasts the highest takedown success rate (66.7%) in UFC lightweight history, and controls his opponent from top position for nearly half of his fight time (46.3%). He is also excellent in ground decision-making and has recorded 6 submission victories. 안전놀이터
However, he declared that this time he would KO instead of submit. Makhachev raised his voice, saying, “This time, KO is the goal. Volkanovski is a great striker. I will KO him and become the P4P king.”
But Volkanovski did not believe. “The reason Makachev has been so good so far is because he’s a calculating fighter,” he said. “He doesn’t take unnecessary risks. He’ll be looking for takedowns.”
The fight between the two fighters will be the first P4P ranking fight between #1 and #2 in UFC history. P4P is a ranking that determines who is the best fighter, assuming that all fighters are of the same weight class. Currently, Volkanovski is in first place and Makhachev is in second place. The winner of this match will truly be the best fighter in the UFC.
