Ali Abdelaziz slams racism against Islam Makhachev, demands respect from MMA community
Islam Makhachev's first lightweight title defense against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 was a success. The main event was a tight affair, and the closely contested fight went the way of Makhachev after his strong start to the bout.
Makhachev fulfilled his aim of challenging himself in hostile territory and overcoming the pound-for-pound king, Volkanovski. However, his manager and Dominance MMA Management founder, Ali Abdelaziz, does not believe the lightweight champion is getting the respect he deserves.
Abdelaziz took to Twitter to lash out against discriminatory remarks from fans and asserted that despite the prevalent racism, his team will earn their respect.
He wrote:
"Make me sick how some of these people are so racist you don’t have to like us, but you will respect us Al Hamdullah I know you guys don’t like this @MAKHACHEVMMA P4P [prince emoji]"
Check out Ali Abdelaziz's tweet below:
Make me sick how some of these people are so racist you don’t have to like us, but you will respect us Al Hamdullah I know you guys don’t like this @MAKHACHEVMMA P4P 🤴🏾 https://t.co/LxF4WMRii7
Abdelaziz also declared Makhachev the pound-for-pound king in his tweet through an emoji, but the change in rankings is yet to be announced. The fight's close nature and Alexander Volkanovski's performance have led many fans to call for no change in the P4P rankings, despite Makhachev's win.
However, it is important to note that the two fighters agreed to put the lightweight championship and the No.1 spot in the pound-for-pound rankings on the line at UFC 284.
Alexander Volkanovski reveals details of conversation with Islam Makhachev during fight
A key talking point in the build-up fight was Islam Makhachev's clear superiority on the mat, but Alexander Volkanovski's preparation caught everyone, including his opponent, off-guard.
The featherweight champion defended extremely well and thwarted Makhachev's multiple submission attempts and did not let the Dagestani grappler capitalize on the takedowns.
'The Great' also trash-talked Islam Makhachev while he was on the ground. In the post-match press conference, he revealed details of the conversation and what was being said:
"When you're in positions like that - I'm not being a d**k, I'm not being disrespectful - but it's get in his head. Even when he had me, I'm like going, 'Well, you're not that strong.' I'll say stuff like that, then he's there, I'm going, 'You're just hanging on.' I'll go, 'You said 15 seconds, you're going to drag me to deep waters.' That type stuff. I remember that stuff as I go. He was hanging on for dear life."
Check out his full interview below: