Alexander Volkanovski won’t let judges get involved in Makhachev rematch: ‘I plan on knocking him out’
Featherweight world champion Alexander Volkanovski is ready to make the most of his short-notice opportunity at UFC 294.
In February, Volkanvovski first met reigning lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev at UFC 284, taking the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ to the limit and, in the eyes of many, doing more than enough to become a two-division champ. However, the judges didn’t see it that way, awarding Makhachev the win via a questionable unanimous decision.
Eight months later, they will run back their Fight of the Year contender on October 21 as the UFC heads to Abu Dhabi. And this time, Volknanovski has no intention of letting the judges get involved.
“It’s going to be an exciting one,” Volkanovski said during a media scrum in Australia. “Obviously, I want to go out there and hurt him. We’ll try to make sure it doesn’t go five rounds. I want to finish it early. I don’t want to test his gas tank. Don’t get me wrong, I think I can do it, but let’s not try and test it. Let’s just finish it nice and early.
“With how excited I am, how refreshed I am — both mentally and physically — I’m going to be a dangerous man in there. I plan on knocking him out” (h/t MMA Fighting).
Alexander Volkanovski Had No Hesitations About Taking Late-Notice Rematch
Originally, Makhachev was slated to face Charles Oliveira in another highly anticipated rematch, but after sustaining an injury while sparring, ‘Do Bronx’ was forced to withdraw, paving the way for Volkanovski to step in on 11 days’ notice. Asked if there was any hesitation on taking such a high-profile fight on less than two weeks’ notice, ‘The Great’ revealed that he never once wavered in his decision-making.
“I didn’t hesitate at all,” Volkanovski explained. “There was probably a smile on my face straight away and it was, ‘Oh, we’re going to do it,’ let the manager do his part with negotiations. He’s asking about the weight, ‘We’ll get it done, don’t worry about that.’ But I had a smile on my face.
“The next day, or couple of days, I literally just was laughing thinking how crazy this is, but happy at the same time. I think I needed this, to be honest.”
Since coming up short in their first meeting, Alexander Volkanovski has added another win to his resume, besting former interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez in a title unification clash at UFC 290. For Makhachev, it will be his first fight since facing Volkanovski earlier this year.
