The lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, added another chapter to his rivalry with the featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski on Monday. While both the fighter exchanged blows at UFC 284, their strife seems miles off from the conclusion. The controversy surrounding their contest only amplified after the last bell rang. And a controversial accusation by UFC star Dan Hooker followed up after the opinion-dividing judges’ decision. Since then, both the champions of their respective divisions have flirted over a rematch and engaged in a back-and-forth exchange. Likewise, the Dagestani champion recently took a dig at ‘The Great’ as he questioned his striking abilities.
Notably, the Russian took to his Twitter handle and attempted a jibe at his Australian counterpart. During the eventful RAC Arena encounter, both the fighters went the distance as they exhibited skills unique to their identified style. The featherweight kingpin proved a force to be reckoned with on the ground as his brute force resisted the former combat sambo champion. On the other hand, the 31-year-old demonstrated prolific striking skills on the feet. And this became the premise for his recent scathing remarks at his rival.
Islam Makhachev takes a jibe at the ‘greatest striker’ Alexander Volkanovski
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The 24-1 record holder in the tweet sarcastically questioned the tag of ‘best striker in the world’ given to the Wollongong-born.
Thus, he wrote, “They called him “best striker in the world”.
Markedly, in their encounter, Makhachev landed a total of 95 strikes on his opponent, and out of those, 57 turned out to be significant strikes. Staying true to his renowned grappling style, he also successfully attempted 4 takedowns.
On the contrary, the Aussie docked 164 total strikes and outnumbered the significant strikes 70 to 57. Similarly, he also led the scorecard on body and leg strikes.
How did the fans react to the recent heated comments of Makhachev?
The remark didn’t sit well with the fans, who also similarly questioned his status as the best grappler in the world.
this tweet shoulda stayed in the drafts brother.
— š. mma (@shawnsafk) February 20, 2023
oh, you managed to land a punch? impressive. 👏🏻
— WOSSO (@latarxoy) February 20, 2023
He kinda rearranged your face
— Mike Geyen (@MikeGeyen) February 20, 2023
Couldn’t have been that bad – your face took a beating. Your punches must not have been as hard – his face was ok…
— MRRFK™️®️ (@MRRFKTM) February 20, 2023
To be fair, you couldn’t do any damage on the ground against him
— Guy Abrams (@Abrams152) February 20, 2023
He totally underestimated your striking ability skills Champ! 👊🏻
— GiannisPloutarhos (@Marwanhamdoun45) February 20, 2023
They called him “best grappler in the world” pic.twitter.com/aBmKR6eJPa
— Aussie Rules MMA 🇦🇺 (@MixedMartialAus) February 20, 2023
Your the so-called best grappler in the UFC and you couldn't sub a featherweight striker when you had his back for almost 4 minutes😭
— CHÉ (@1Nokhchuo) February 20, 2023
Looks like a scene from Rocky “IV”.
— Jay LaCombe (@LacombeJay) February 20, 2023
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What do you think of this statement by UFC champion Islam Makhachev about Alexander Volkanovski? Do you also believe that the lightweight champion out-strike Volkanovski? Let us know in the comments below.
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