Islam Makhachev is confident in his ability to finish Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284.
On February 11, Makhachev looks to defend the UFC lightweight championship for the first time against Volkanovski, the reigning pound-for-pound king. The 31-year-old Russian is always confident in his ability to win, and nothing has changed for his upcoming fight.
During an interview with Daniel Cormier, Makhachev was asked about the chances of finishing Volkanovski inside the distance. He responded by saying:
“I’m gonna [finish him], brotha. Every second looking for the finish. It’s good when you finish your opponent, Dana give you more money in your contract.”
Since joining the UFC, the only time Volkanovski was close to getting finished was a mounted guillotine against Brian Ortega. ‘The Great’ somehow survived and continued his winning streak. Although he’s coming up in weight, the featherweight world champion believes he will be equally as dangerous.
Meanwhile, Makhachev has twelve UFC wins, with eight inside the distance. The number two pound-for-pound fighter thinks Volkanovski will struggle with his strength and grappling skills at 155 pounds, leading to another win inside the distance. The Russian has previously claimed he can finish ‘The Great’ on the feet, which would be another impressive addition to his resume.
Watch Daniel Cormier interview Islam Makhachev below:
Islam Makhachev believes he will never feel more emotional than when he beat Charles Oliveira
Islam Makhachev silenced the doubters on October 22 by submitting Charles Oliveira to become the lightweight champion. Although defeating Alexander Volkanovski would be a massive accomplishment, Makhachev thinks nothing can be more emotional than his first title win.
During the same interview with Daniel Cormier, Makhachev had this to say about the moment he became the lightweight king:
“When I jump to the other side and close my arm [for the submission], inside my mind [I think], he’s gonna tap now, I’m gonna be champion. This is crazy emotion… Maybe after this fight it’s gonna be same, but maybe not. I don’t think it’s gonna be more than last fight… Even when I watch the video now, I always have some new emotions.”
UFC 284 goes down inside the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Volkanovski is currently a sizeable betting underdog, but he will have his hometown crowd for added motivation. ‘The Great’ could solidify himself as one of the greatest fighters of all time by dethroning Makhachev and becoming a two-division UFC champion, which will be easier said than done.
