Volkanovski praised the appointment of the fight with Makhachev in 11 days with the phrase “I love this”
Australian mixed style (MMA) fighter Alexander Volkanovski reacted on Instagram (the social network is prohibited in the Russian Federation; belongs to the Meta corporation, which is recognized as extremist in Russia and is banned) to schedule a rematch with Russian Islam Makhachev.
Volkanovski assessed the appointment of the fight in 11 days with the phrase “I love this.” “Just don’t talk about it. We need to be prepared for this,” he said.
The fighters will fight on October 21 at UFC 294. The fight will take place in Abu Dhabi.
Volkanovski replaced the injured Oliveira
Initially, Makhachev was supposed to have a rematch with the Brazilian Charles Oliveira. However, he refused the fight due to injury. According to UFC President Dana White, Oliveira suffered a deep cut to his eyebrow in one of the sparring sessions in preparation for the fight with Makhachev.
Oliveira was sparring before the flight. He severely cut his eyebrow and had to stitch it up
Makhachev and Volkanovski have already met in the Octagon in 2023
For Makhachev and Volkanovski, the upcoming fight will also be a rematch. The athletes fought their first fight in February 2023 at UFC 284.
Then Makhachev won by unanimous decision
The Russian defended his UFC lightweight title for the first time, which he won thanks to his victory over Oliveira in October 2022 at UFC 280. At the same time, Volkanovski, who rose to the lightweight category for the fight, retained the featherweight championship belt.
The decision of the judges in the first fight of Makhachev and Volkanovski was criticized
American Bryce Mitchell called the fight fixed. In his opinion, Volkanovski should have won by decision, but the result was rigged.
New Zealand fighter Dan Hooker accused Makhachev of cheating. He said that the Russian turned to doctors to get an IV for dehydration after weight training, which is prohibited by UFC rules. Volkanovski also questioned his opponent’s honesty.
I would say he weighed about 81 kilograms. In this case, the fighters quickly refuel with IVs and the like. It might be a slight shot at him, but it is what it is
The Russian’s manager Rizvan Magomedov called the accusations complete nonsense. Makhachev himself emphasized that he was repeatedly tested by experts from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
At the same time, both Makhachev and Volkanovski have repeatedly stated their readiness to carry out a rematch
In the UFC rankings, regardless of weight categories, Volkanovski is ranked above Makhachev. The Australian takes second place, the Russian – third. First place is held by American Jon Jones, who is the organization’s heavyweight champion.
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In total, the 31-year-old Russian had 25 fights in his career, in which he scored 24 victories and suffered one defeat. The 35-year-old Volkanovski has 26 wins and two losses.
Source: Lenta
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