Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo break down the reasons for Islam Makhachev’s struggles against Alex Volkanovski
Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, along with Henry Cejudo, dissect the reasons for Islam Makhachev’s struggles against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284.
The spectacular five-round UFC 284 main event between the two finest fighters in the organization well exceeded the expectations of nearly everyone in attendance and fight fans around the globe. Makhachev defeated Volkanovski and defended his lightweight title for the first time. The fight was fiercely fought from start to finish.
Henry Cejudo and Demetrious Johnson, former foe turned firm friends, discussed Volkanovski's advantage over Makhachev on YouTube.
'Mighty Mouse' said:
"I knew that Volk was going to bring a different fight to Islam, that he hasn't fought before."
He further added:
"Volk understands the distance very well, where he over commits, but he is very strategic. It was a good fight, a very technical fight. I think very tactical too."
Check out the entire conversation between Cejudo and Johnson below:
Henry Cejudo praises Alexander Volkanovski's gameplan
Islam Makhachev displayed immense courage by traveling to Perth, Australia, and facing the highlyvregarded featherweight champion and top-ranked P4P fighter in the UFC, Alexander Volkanovski. In a closely contested battle, Makhachev emerged victorious and successfully defended his lightweight title with a unanimous decision.
Despite Makhachev's win, Volkanovski put up such a tough fight that many onlookers felt that he should have been declared the winner. It's a rare occurrence for a champion to aim for a second title simultaneously, but that's exactly what Alexander 'The Great' Volkanovski did when he moved up to the lightweight division to confront Islam Makhachev.
The featherweight champion was highly regarded, occupying the top spot on numerous pound-for-pound lists, while Makhachev was ranked second in the UFC's internal rankings, adding an extra layer of excitement to the matchup.
Recently, Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo analyzed Alexander Volkanovski's strength over Islam Makhachev in their video discussion, while focusing on height advantage.
Cejudo noted that shorter fighters are less prone to being taken down and are able to recover quickly, and emphasized that Makhachev's height was not a disadvantage, but rather his wrestling skills that posed a challenge.
The former double champ stated:
"When you fight a shorter fighter, they are harder to take down. I believe there were flaws in Islam’s wrestling, hitting, and the overall fight."
Watch the entire analysis below: