Alexander Volkanovski comments on why he expects upcoming Islam Makhachev clash to be a "stand-up battle"
Alexander Volkanovski recently gave a comment that he expects the upcoming clash against Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 to be a stand-up battle. The Australian wants to test Makhachev's overall skillset as his team has been endorsing the Dagestani as a complete mixed martial artist.
Islam Makhachev brought the UFC 155-pound strap back to Dagestan after defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 last month. Makhachev called out Volkanovski for a fight on February 12, 2023, at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, with the No.1 pound-for-pound status and 155-pound strap on the line.
The UFC recently made the fight official, and the stage is now set for Alexander Volkanovski to chase double-champ status.
Speaking with Laura Sanko on Quick Hits at UFC 281, Volkanovski previewed the upcoming fight with Makhachev:
"Obviously, I'm stoked. It's a massive opportunity. Big challenge, you know, Islam's a great fighter. But I love a challenge. That's what I've been doing my whole life. I'm the right man for the job. Definitely strategy and all that goes a long way... and I'm very hard to hold down. I'm expecting a stand-up battle, let's see how good his striking is. Supposeably he's well rounded. So we'll see."
Watch the full video below:
Dan Hooker warns Islam Makhachev about Alexander Volkanovski's wrestling defense
Dan Hooker recently weighed in on the upcoming clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev at UFC 284.
Makhachev has been mocking Volkanovski's physical attributes ahead of the fight, even citing them as a factor in the delayed negotiations for the bout.
@alexvolkanovski just make sure your people convince UFC that you can compete with me. From what I heard, they think you too small 👀
While speaking in a recent interview on Submission Radio, City Kickboxing teammate Dan Hooker claimed that it's very difficult to keep Volkanovski on the ground:
"I feel like they [Islam Makhachev and team] are kind of looking down at [Volkanovski]. They're in for a whole lot of trouble. He's an incredibly difficult man to hold on the ground. He keeps saying that he's short and stuff like that but holding a guy that's stocky on the ground is incredibly difficult. So I feel like he's in for an icredibly tough test."
Dan Hooker's perspective on the fight is intriguing as he regularly trains with Volkanovski and has a clear understanding of the renowned wrestling pressure of Makhachev.
Watch the full interview below: