Alexander Volkanovski thinks Islam Makhachev is overlooking him ahead of UFC 284.
Volkanovski is the current featherweight champion but will move up in weight in the main event of UFC 284 as he takes on Makhachev for the lightweight belt. Many are viewing Alexander Volkanovski as Makhachev’s toughest test to date, but the featherweight champ thinks Makhachev is underestimating him.
No Problem for Alexander Volkanovski
“I love that,” Alexander Volkanovski said on Israel Adesanya’s YouTube page. “Everyone says that, ‘I love being the underdog,’ but I do. That’s the challenge, being the underdog, proving the doubters and the haters, all that type of stuff — I don’t let it really get to me, but I let it get to me enough where I’m like, ‘Alright, I’m going to train a little bit harder, I’m going to shut these guys up, and I’m going to go out there and do it.’”
“It makes me want those fights. Those are fights that I want. I feel like in the featherweight division I was trying to find which fight that was going to be and then this lightweight thing came and that’s what I wanted. I’m glad I did it because it’s already made me such a better fighter.
“The fact that I’m moving up, doing the bulking, telling myself we need to get stronger, we need to work on that takedown defense, all of a sudden I’m twice as strong as I was,” Volkanovski added. “My defense is just on point. I’m like an absolute brick wall when people are trying to run into me and they feel it, they instantly feel it as soon as they grab ahold of me or we grab each other. They can already significantly see the strength, so it just makes you think where I go from here.”
Alexander Volkanovski thinks Islam Makhachev believes it will be an easy fight due to the size difference. However, the Aussie believes people have overlooked him throughout his career and guarantees Makhachev will be in for a rude awakening come UFC 284.
“Give me 10 seconds with him, that face changes real quick. All of a sudden that size doesn’t matter, all of a sudden my footwork, ‘Where’s this guy at? I’m in a puzzle, he’s already giving drama.’ Then I put my hands on him, there’s another problem,” Volkanovski said. “Then they try to grab ahold of me and I’m a little brick f****** wall, there’s another problem. That’s when you see them start to crumble and be like, ‘F***, what have I got myself into?’ That’s exactly what’s going to happen with Islam, especially the way he’s looking. I can tell he really thinks he’s going to be way too strong.”
