Mixed martial arts icon Chael Sonnen backed Alex Volkanovski to beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 284.
Reigning UFC featherweight champion and pound-for-pound king Alex Volkanovski has cemented his status as an all-time great with dominant performances bout after bout. He was last seen in action against former champion Max Holloway in a trilogy clash at UFC 276. ‘The Great’ turned in an impressive showing and came out on top of the judges’ scorecards by unanimous decision.
Chael Sonnen backs Alex Volkanovski over Islam Makhachev at UFC 284
In a recent video posted on YouTube, Chael Sonnen argued that Volkanovski can beat Islam Makhachev in their upcoming fight at UFC 284 on Feb. 11 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.
“Being a favorite is not great and Volk dealt with it anyway,” said Sonnen. “Now you’re giving him something. It is a competitive advantage that all pressure has been taken off of him. It is a competitive disadvantage that Islam isn’t allowed to lose a single round. He must dominate this man. You’re putting Volk in a better spot. I like Volk in this fight.”
Sonnen thinks Volkanovski is being underestimated
‘The Bad Guy’ took issue with the betting line for the contest which has Volkanovski as a massive underdog. He believes Volkanovski might not be getting the credit he deserves given the list of notable opponents he’s beaten.
“DraftKings had Volkanovski as the underdog 3-1… Yair Rodriguez, no chance with Islam. Is that what you believe? So what would Josh Emmett, Yair Rodriguez, Brian Ortega, Max Holloway, Chad Mendes, and Jose Aldo be? What would those guys be?”
Alex Volkanovski will finally get the opportunity to join the ultra-exclusive ‘champ-champ’ club inaugurated by former two-division champion Conor McGregor when he faces Makhachev in less than two weeks. Makhachev will put the lightweight title on the line in a bid to take Volkanovski’s pound-for-pound number one spot.
