Islam Makhachev's teammates risk being penalized after illegal activity at Rottnest Island, Australia
Islam Makhachev is spending some quality time with his teammates ahead of the high-stakes fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. He was spotted at Rottnest Island, which is home to the quokka, a small wallaby-like marsupial.
Makhachev took to Instagram to upload images of his downtime, where he was seen riding a bike and having fun. However, images of them feeding quokkas could put them in jeopardy, and the Dagestnai has since deleted the images from social media. The news was first brought to light by PerthNow.
![Islam Makhachev's teammates feeding quokkas [Image via: perthnow.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/02/bcd34-16758400018138-1920.jpg?w=500)
Quokkas shouldn't be fed since they will eat whatever is put in front of them, and human food, particularly processed products, can cause serious health problems. They are also off-limits to physical contact.
The fact remains that they are naturally aggressive creatures who have bitten numerous tourists, usually when trying to steal food. Failing to abide by the law can result in criminal prosecution and up to A$10,000 (£5,500, $7,500) in fines.
Islam Makhachev was also caught on video feeding a quokka in the most recent episode of the UFC's Embedded Vlog series. It is not yet confirmed whether Makhachev will face any penalties for feeding the animal, but it appears that the incident will not hinder his prospects of competing this weekend.
Check out the second episode of the UFC Embedded series below:
Islam Makhachev's coach refutes allegations that he is not taking Alexander Volkanovski seriously
At UFC 284, on February 11 at the RAC Arena in Australia, Islam Makhachev will return to action and face arguably the toughest test of his career against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. If the Russian superstar prevails, it will be his biggest victory to date, since he will replace Volkanovski as the No.1 fighter on the pound-for-pound best list.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev's mentor and training partner, has claimed that Volkanovski will be a tougher test than Charles Oliveira. Makhachev is leaving no stone unturned in preparations, but Volkanovski has maintained his stance that the Dagestani is underestimating his chances of winning the fight.
Alexander Volkanovski thinks Islam Makhachev is underestimating him
Full story: mmafighting.com/2023/1/26/2357… https://t.co/rqcQkA4rLe
American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez recently refuted allegations that the lightweight champion is not taking his opponent seriously. Addressing the claims on Submission Radio, Mendez stated:
"[Islam Makhachev's] taking him seriously because in order for him to be in that position where he can feel [Alexander Volkanovski] is not at his level is to elevate his training, which is what he's done. When's the last time Alex got this excited and talked this much about this and that, when? Because he's elevated his training also, and he has to, because, why? Because he's got a bigger challenge in front of him than he's ever had before."
Catch Javier Mendez's comments below (11:45):