Islam Makhachev vows to "upset" Australian fans after receiving lukewarm welcome at UFC 284 press conference
At the upcoming UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, newly minted lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will take on pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski in the former's first title defense.
During the recently concluded pre-fight press conference for the event, the Dagestani received a rather lukewarm welcome from the Australian champion's home crowd.
Reacting to the less-than-ideal reception, Makhachev suggested that the Aussie fans will be treated to a rude awakening when he defeats Volkanovski at the event:
"It's okay, I just came to Australia to these people. Doesn't matter, when the cage is closed, the people are just going to watch, but you're going to be upset guys, sorry, sorry."
Catch Islam Makhachev's comments below:
According to the oddsmakers at Betting Insider Journal, Makhachev is the -365 favorite for the fight against 'The Great', who is the +300 underdog.
What makes UFC 284 special is the fact that Volkanovski and Makhachev currently occupy the No.1 and No.2 spots respectively on the promotion's pound-for-pound ladder. Both have had stellar runs in the UFC with the Russian holding a promotional record of 12-1, while Volkanovski is undefeated with 12 wins.
Islam Makhachev's most recent win came via a second-round submission against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. The featherweight champion was last seen in a unanimous decision win over Max Holloway at UFC 276.
Alexander Volkanovski claims the immense fan support will give him extra energy against Islam Makhachev
Despite Islam Makhachev's plans to upset the Australian fans at UFC 284, Alexander Volkanovski believes that the immense support from his countrymen is going to grant him an edge over the Russian on fight night.
During the pre-fight presser, 'The Great' lauded the Australian fans as one of the best in the world:
"Oh mate, it's incredible. Look at this, it's absolutely stacked in here and its just the press conference. Some of the best fans in the world are here in Australia and we're going to put on a show and they're going to definitely be giving me a lot of energy in there and champ-champ baby let's go."
While a win against 'The Great' would see Makhachev take over the top spot on the pound-for-pound ladder, if Volkanovski wins, he'll become the fifth-ever simultaneous two-division champion in the UFC.
The co-main event of the fight card will feature top featherweight contenders Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett in a possible title eliminator.