Islam Makhachev’s respect does not come easily, so when he speaks highly of a former opponent, it carries weight. The Dagestani gave up the UFC lightweight title without ever losing it in the cage.
Islam Makhachev’s respect does not come easily, so when he speaks highly of a former opponent, it carries weight.
The Dagestani gave up the UFC lightweight title without ever losing it in the cage. The closest he came was at UFC 284, where Alexander Volkanovski pushed him to a narrow five-round decision.
And after seeing the Australian finally claim his moment at home that he missed out on in their first fight, Makhachev summed up his admiration in just two words.
Islam Makhachev calls Alexander Volkanovski ‘the greatest’
Makhachev and Volkanovski have kept up a good relationship since their two fights for the lightweight title. Their first meeting in Perth was a back-and-forth battle that many felt Volkanovski edged, while the rematch saw Makhachev leave no doubts with a decisive finish.
After watching his former opponent put on another clinic against Diego Lopes at UFC 325, Makhachev summed up his thoughts with just two words. Posting a clip of Volkanovski’s post-fight interview on Instagram, he captioned it: “The Greatest”.
It’s high praise coming from someone like Makhachev, who is widely regarded as one of the top fighters in the sport today. Having trained under Khabib Nurmagomedov and shared the cage with several top names, his opinion carries weight.
After Volkanovski’s previous win over Lopes at UFC 314, Makhachev had also posted a brief message of respect, simply saying: “Congrats legends”.
Category: General Sports
