Islam Makhachev hyped about UFC 284 fight against Alexander Volkanovski being completely sold out
Islam Makhachev appears to be in a better mood today after announcing that the UFC 284 Pay-Per-View is completely sold out.
The lightweight champion was unhappy this week as he believed the UFC was severely underpromoting his epic clash with Alexander Volkanovki in Perth next weekend. The bout pits the Russian fighter against the featherweight champion for the 155lb strap, with the added bonus of the winner also taking the No.1 pound-for-pound spot in the UFC.
In an interview with RSport Russia, Islam Makhachev claimed Dana White's recent issues were to blame for the lack of promotion:
"I see that it is not such big promotion. Dana White himself has some problems, he does not pay much attention to this fight… In terms of pay-per-view, yes, more could have been done. I only saw Volkanovski once, in Sydney. A tour could be organized around the world, a conference could be held in America.” [Translated via MMA Junkie]
It appears Islam Makhachev's complaints have worked, however, as he announced earlier today that his superfight with Volkanovski will in fact now take place in front of a sold-out crowd at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on February 12.
"People is looking for tickets for UFC Perth, but it’s completely SOLD OUT! Most trending fight as of today! Australia, we going to make some noise, be ready @ufc #UFC284"
🏼 @ufc #UFC284People is looking for tickets for UFC Perth, but it’s completely SOLD OUT! Most trending fight as of today! Australia, we going to make some noise, be ready 👊🏼 @ufc #UFC284
Henry Cejudo defends Islam Makhachev, believes his fight with Alexander Volkanovski has not been promoted enough
Henry Cejudo recently defended Islam Makhachev after he claimed that the UFC were failing him and Alexander Volkanovski for their upcoming clash at UFC 284.
Cejudo, much like Makhachev, believes the story of the fight has been seriously underutilized by the UFC as it involves Makhachev making his first title defense and Volkanovski stepping up a weight class.
According to Cejudo, who spoke about the fight on his YouTube channel, the added caveat of the bout also featuring the No.1 and No.2 ranked pound-for-pound fighters has almost been forgotten by the media:
"So Volkanovski vs. Makahchev is not getting the attention it deserves. This is a super fight. This isn't just a fight, where you are going to get, yo know, a guy who has fought somebody for the fourth time or... You are getting a guy who is [no.1] pound-for-pound against a guy who is no. 2 pound-for-pound. And why is it not getting that media buzz as it should? "
Cejudo added:
"This is a clash of styles. This is a guy [Volkanovski] who's been able to beat everybody [at] 145 pounds and do it very viciously. This is a guy [Makahchev] at 155lbs that they call the second coming of Khabib. And he has been able to fit into those shoes and eventually become pound-for-pound."
Catch 'Triple C's comments in his tweet below:
Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski deserves WAY more HYPE!
This is the No. 1 vs No. 2 pound-for-pound in the sport. The man they call the next Khabib vs the greatest 145er in history. This SUPERFIGHT deserves your attention! #UFC284 🔥🔥🔥
FULL 📽️: youtu.be/zsy1Oqm0l3c https://t.co/0vRQ45FStR