UFC 294: Conor McGregor raises eyebrows with critique of Islam Makhachev's 'back of the head' shots on Alexander Volkanovski
As he tends to do, Conor McGregor put on his analytical cap while watching UFC 294 and offered critiques of Islam Makhachev's knockout of Alexander Volkanovski.
In response to another X (formerly Twitter) user bringing up potential illegal strikes from Makhachev, McGregor acknowledged both the hits to the back of the head and how difficult of a job MMA referees have. McGregor stated that "back of the head shots are not good" and also replied with:
"To stop that on a warning or point deduction when Volk was essentially out already is a tricky one. But there would have been grounds for it, 100%. Would have been nail biting stuff."
In the tweet, Conor McGregor also stated that he would have liked to see the referee intervene and allow Alexander Volkanovski to recover.
It is no secret that McGregor has never been a fan of Islam Makhachev, particularly due to the latter's close relationship with Khabib Nurmagomedov. The footage McGregor brings to light does reveal clear shots to the back of the head that will certainly spark debate. Regardless, the official result will almost certainly remain unchanged as a head-kick KO victory for Makhachev.
While Conor McGregor typically is active on Twitter during UFC events, and this particular event had a lot of talking points, his presence was especially prominent this time.
The tweet that McGregor quoted was a direct response to another tweet of 'The Notorious' regarding his SBG Ireland teammate Johnny Walker. McGregor, clearly upset, vouched for a disqualification win for Walker instead of the no-contest result that occurred.
The response tweet from Twitter user 'Fafa Wick' with the video of Islam Makhachev's alleged illegal shot was captioned:
"Don't forget about these lovely back of the head shots either."
There has been increasing chatter and debate amongst fans following the Tweet from Conor McGregor, but Volkanovski did not mention getting hit in the back of the head at all following the fight.