Alexander Volkanovski On Rematch Against Islam Makhachev: ‘This Is The Fight I Wanted’

Alexander Volkanovski on losing to Islam Makhachev: “It still hurts”

Ever since February, Alexander Volkanovski has been bothered by one cold, hard truth.

He lost to Islam Makhachev.

The uber-competitive Volkanovski expressed a smattering of frustration that their UFC 284 fight should have been scored in his favor, but he quickly refocused on defending his featherweight title. That happened in July, when Volkanovski (26-2) obliterated interim champ Yair Rodriguez.

Yet Volkanovski was fighting more than Rodriguez in that bout. He was also seeking to remove the stain of defeat, one that he has been carrying since the loss suffered against Makhachev. Now, eight months after that defeat, Volkanovski gets his shot at redemption, filling in for Charles Oliveira at UFC 294 in the main event against–you guessed it–Makhachev.

“This is the rematch I wanted,” said Volkanovski. “That loss hurt. It still hurts. I wanted the rematch, I believed the rematch would come, and I needed to defend my belt to put myself in a position where I could get that rematch.

“I genuinely didn’t know if this was going to happen. Now that it is, it adds to our rivalry. It’s short-notice, but that only adds to the story of the rivalry–and my story.”

With such short notice, Volkanovski needed to hustle to cut weight. He reshaped his body in just over a week, dropping from 181 pounds to 155 with relative ease.

“A lot of that was water weight,” said Volkanovski. “I’d just come off a holiday and I’d had a few drinks. But my body knows how to respond in these situations. Right now, I’m lighter than I was in February.”

Makhachev (24-1) has dominated the majority of his fights. It was stunning to see him on the receiving end of a beatdown from Volkanovski as their fight concluded in February. Even if Makhachev had controlled three of the five rounds, rarely is he found on the receiving end of that precarious position.

“He’s not easily broken,” said Volkanovski. “You don’t see him tiring or gassing very often. But let’s be real. I haven’t had the preparation this time. I can’t break him that way this time. I do have a plan to break him this time, and that’s what I’m focusing on.”

Volkanovski now approaches this bout looking to find a way to finish Makhachev. Though Makhachev has not tasted defeat since 2015, Volkanovski intends to change that on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

“We are two of the best fighters in the world going at it,” said Volkanovski. “Last fight lived up to the hype. Now you get to see it again, and it’s going to live up to the hype once more.

“It’s an opportunity, and I’m thankful for it. It’s a test, one I’m going to pass with flying colors.”

Bellator, Showtime, and the PFL – how do they all connect?

At the end of the year, Showtime will no longer produce combat sports, signaling an end to its run of boxing–and MMA.

This directly affects Bellator, which aired on Showtime. It adds an ominous cloud to Bellator’s future, further heightening speculation that the fight promotion will soon be sold. With the PFL continuing to grow, it feels like only a matter of time before it acquires Bellator.

And the Bellator roster is exactly what the PFL needs to reach the next level.

Bellator has an exceptional roster, especially Johnny Eblen, Usman Nurmagomedov, and AJ McKee. Even if the PFL does not need the Bellator brand, they need the roster.

Adding Bellator would also give the PFL more strength in the market from a media rights perspective. The latest news about Showtime dropping combat sports further fuels the belief that the Bellator brand will be part of PFL.