Alexander Volkanovski earned his title shot against Islam Makhachev with "brute force attack" tactic, says Chael Sonnen

Alexander Volkanovski, who is scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 284, did everything in his capacity to become the next contender for the UFC lightweight championship. Chael Sonnen, a former fighter-turned-analyst, recounted how Vokalnovski became the next clear contender to challenge for the 155-pound strap.

Sonnen recapitulated the chronology of events that culminated with the fight between Volkanovski and Makhachev being booked. For the longest time, MMA fans believed that Beneil Dariush would serve as the backup for the clash between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 for the lightweight throne.

Beneil Dariush reveals he’s expected to serve as backup to Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 (@DamonMartin) mmafighting.com/2022/9/15/2335… https://t.co/YdaOjsAP23

Alexander Volkanovski reinforced his status as the next contender, asserting that he is "not playing games" and that it was his idea to serve as the backup for the UFC 280 main event. Dariush's ambitions were dashed when Volkanovski, the UFC 145-pound champion and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, leapfrogged other contenders in the talent-rich 155-pound division to secure the title shot.

It’s Official, I’m the back up fighter for the Light Weight title!
See you all in Abu Dhabi 👊 #UFC280

youtu.be/Sq8p0Qg2vbs

Furthermore, despite rumors that Oliveira was offered an immediate rematch to face Makhachev, the organization ended up booking the Dagestani to fight Volkanovski for his first title defense fight since 'do Bronx' wanted to take some time off.

The way Sonnen perceives the entire chain of events, Alexander Volkanovski manifested the opportunity to grab double-champ status with a "brute force attack," something that other fighters on the roster should take note of:

"It's what they call in the world of computer science a brute force attack... That is what Volkanovski did. It's stunning to me that nobody grabbed that and copied that."

Watch the full video below:

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Sean O'Malley claims that he has a "weird feeling" about Alexander Volkanovski vs. Islam Makhachev

Alexander Volkanovski and UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will square off at UFC 284 on February 12, 2023, in Perth, Australia. While Volkanovski has his sights set on earning double-championship status, Makhachev seeks to seize the Australian's position as the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter.

Islam Makhachev will be defending his lightweight title against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at #UFC284 🇦🇺 https://t.co/swll3beSHb

In a recent interview with Helen Yee, Sean O'Malley, who drew attention with his tenacious effort and a unanimous decision victory over former bantamweight champion Petr Yan at UFC 280, previewed the hotly contested bout:

“It’s gonna be tough beating that dude [Islam Makhachev]. I do have a weird feeling that Alexander Volkanovski is gonna be a lot bigger of a challenge than everyone thinks. Can he potentially get the job done against Islam? If Alex can’t, I don’t know who can.”

Catch O'Malley's comments below: