Alexander Volkanovski doesn't want Khabib Nurmagomedov's absence to be an excuse when Islam Makhachev loses at UFC 284
Alexander Volkanovski will take on Islam Makhachev in one of the most high-caliber matchups of recent times at UFC 284 this weekend. Khabib Nurmagomedov, who has been a constant presence in Makhachev's recent fights, won't be cornering him during the UFC 284 main event.
Volkanovski, a sizeable underdog going into the matchup, hopes that Nurmagomedov's absence doesn't take anything away from his potential victory on Saturday night. Being widely regarded as the smaller fighter going into UFC 284, 'The Great' doesn't want to hear excuses about Nurmagomedov missing from Makhachev's corner when he wins.
The UFC pound-for-pound king recently told ESPN's Brett Okamoto:
"I mean only because people bringing that up. I'm like don't use that an excuse when I get my hands raised. That's the type of guy I am. Now yous are saying all these, just remember that... He's fought without Khabib. Obviously having him here would have been incredible...But Islam proven that he's a great fighter. He doesn't need... It's gonna be him in there, let's be real. It ain't gonna affect him one bit. So don't use that as an excuse this Sunday."
Catch Alexander Volkanovksi's comments below:
Islam Makhachev's predecessor and mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, will be missing from his corner as he recently cut all ties with the sport to spend time with his family.
Islam Makhachev wants to knock out Alexander Volkanovski
Islam Makhachev, like most other Dagestani standouts, is primarily known for his stellar wrestling skillset. But Makhachev displayed an immensely improved stand-up skillset in his last fight, knocking down Charles Oliveira en route to his UFC 280 title win.
Catch the highlights below:
#UFC284Personne ne suit Charles Oliveira au sol sans crainte comme l’a fait Islam Makhachev 🥶👀 #UFC284 https://t.co/Pb0Gt54XHh
The UFC lightweight champion now intends to change people's perception altogether by knocking out an elite striker like Alexander Volkanovski. Owing to his size differential with 'The Great', Makhachev believes he has a good chance. The 31-year-old recently told ESPN Deportes:
“Honestly, I want to knock him out, because everybody says [that] Islam a grappler or wrestler, but I want to show people my striking. He is a short guy, and I really believe I can knock him out.”
Islam Makhachev also believes Alexander Volkanovski is set for a rude awakening at UFC 284 and has only dared to accept the fight as he doesn't have much to lose.