While Alexander Volkanovski didn’t get the win against Islam Makhachev, he definitely put on a show for the fans.
The UFC Featherweight Champion fell short in his conquest for double-champ status when he took on lightweight king Makhachev at UFC 284. After five close rounds of action, the judges ruled it a unanimous decision victory for Makhachev.
What Volkanovski Told Makhachev Mid-Fight
Before going the distance, a fired-up Volkanovski had a few choice words to say to Makhachev while he had his back in round 4. Volkanovski would reveal exactly what was said since we weren’t able to hear the barbs on the UFC broadcast.
“[Makhachev] was hanging on for dear life. Well, that’s what I was saying to him,” Volkanovski said on The MMA Hour. “I don’t wanna be disrespectful about it, but I was obviously trying to hype up the crowd, but I mean, it was just funny. Obviously we tweeted here and there and he’d be like going after 15 seconds and saying that I’ll be crumbling, going to sleep and all this. I’m like, ‘oh, you said you’ll finish me!’ I was saying a few things. I was just going, ‘oh, is this all you got? You’re just trying to survive. You’re just hanging on for dear life. Come on you little b*tch!’
“Yeah, he was [talking back], but not really. He was just trying to get his breath back and just hang on. It was like, he wasn’t even trying to go for the finish. It was just literally like, ‘hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on, let’s get through this round.’ Which obviously I can see him crumbling, but at the same time I’m in a bad position. At the same [time], I’m feeling him crumbling and I’m like, that’s why I’m just going, ‘look at you just trying to survive. You said you’ll finish me. You’re not even trying to go for the finish’. Just stuff like [that] obviously, trying to get in his head, trying to rev up the crowd and just have a bit of fun with it. Not trying to be disrespectful.”
‘Watch What Happens Next Time’
After the battle (and war of words), ‘The Great’ is hoping he can get his hands on an immediate rematch with Makhachev, given the controversial decision.
“I don’t wanna be that guy, but if he was just a featherweight in my division, I squash him,” Volkanovski continued. “I squash him, and it’s a walk in the park and no offense to him, but that’s legit. I could make this a walk in the park. Right now we fight again and like we do this rematch, which we talked about. I talked about it. Islam talked about it. UFC’s talking about it and everyone else is talking about it. So, I think we can make that happen. I don’t need him to be a featherweight. Like he can be a a welterweight.
“Wherever we fight, he can get as big as he wants with IVs and whatever he does, that doesn’t matter. You watch what happens next time.”
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