Islam Makhachev's coach doesn't see him finishing Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284

As Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski gear up to face each other in their highly anticipated superfight at UFC 284 in Australia, Makhachev's coach Javier Mendez has shared a prediction that he expects the fight to go the distance.

In a recent interview with Helen Yee, the founder and head coach of AKA Gym was asked about Makhachev's preparations for his title defense. Mendez gave an update on Makhachev's current training in Dagestan and iterated his confidence in his pupil's abilities. However, he surprisingly continued:

"I expect that at the end of the day Islam Makhachev is going to be pound-for-pound the best fighter in the UFC or in the world. After he beats Alex, which I'm expecting him to do, but not like people are thinking, like any kind of finish. I don't like that. It's going to be a five-round war."

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Both Volkanovski and Makhachev boast impressive professional records. They have only had one loss in their careers and have dominated their respective divisions to the top.

Alexander Volkanovski last beat Max Holloway in their trilogy fight at UFC 276 via unanimous decision. Makhachev last won the lightweight strap by defeating Oliveira via second-round submission at UFC 280.

Daniel Cormier says Alexander Volkanovski beating Islam Makhachev could be the biggest upset in UFC history

Daniel Cormier recently stated that if Alexander Volkanovski manages to secure a win over Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 on February 12, it could potentially be the biggest upset in UFC history.

After Makhachev's impressive victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to be crowned lightweight king, he wasted no time calling out 'The Great' for a bout in Australia that would decide who walks away with the lightweight title as well as the P4P No.1 crown.

Watch the video below:

Volkanovski enters the Octagon to accept Makhachev's challenge for the lightweight title 👀 #UFC280 https://t.co/VyNdFDLbgc

While many have speculated on the possible outcome of this matchup, Makhachev is highly favored to win owing to his size advantage over Volkanovski. However, an upset is not out of the question at all and Daniel Cormier believes that Volkanovski could potentially pull the biggest one ever.

Speaking on his podcast, 3 Rounds with Daniel Cormier, he stated:

"There have been a number of upsets in mixed martial arts... In my opinion, Alexander Volkanovski wins this fight, it's the biggest. It's bigger than anything we've seen because, I'm telling you, when you get into the details of this matchup, it seems a very hard match for Volkanovski to win..."

He continued:

"Volk is a very big guy... But that doesn't matter, he's still shorter. Because he's shorter it makes for him - Makhachev - to use the leverage against Volkanovski. I believe that this would be the biggest upset in mixed martial arts history."

Watch the full video below:

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