Alex Volkanovski vows to defeat Islam Makhachev in potential UFC rematch: “I guarantee I get my hand raised”
Alex Volkanovski believes there’s no doubt he will avenge his loss against UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev.
Back in February, Volkanovski vs. Makhachev headlined UFC 284. It was Alex Volkanovski who was moving up in weight to challenge for the 155-pound gold. Outside of his one career loss back in 2015, Makhachev has looked mostly dominant. While he had a competitive bout against Arman Tsarukyan, Islam Makhachev’s toughest test came against Alex “The Great.”
The bout went the distance and in the end, it was Islam Makhachev who had his hand raised via unanimous decision. Volkanovski was able to return to the win column in an undisputed featherweight title fight against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290. Alex Volkanovski maintained his hold on the 145-pound gold and regained the undisputed distinction via third-round TKO.
Alex Volkanovski Confident In Islam Makhachev Rematch
During his media scrum following UFC 290, Volkanovski admitted that he’s likely in for another barn burner with Makhachev. With that said, his confidence hasn’t wavered (h/t MMAJunkie).
“I’d be lying to say I’ll just walk through him and do this and do that,” Volkanovski said. “It’s going to be another highly contested battle, but I guarantee I get my hand raised. I’m going to capitalize on a lot more things. It is two tough guys going at it. They’ve done five rounds and there’s a good chance you might see another five rounds of it. I’d love to get a finish. We’re both that good that it might be another tougher fight. But I’m looking forward, again.”
Volkanovski took things a step further, saying he’s constantly evolving. He also said that other featherweights and lightweights won’t stand a chance against him. For now, however, Volkanovski will likely be on the sidelines for a bit as he may need surgery to fix an arm issue.
