Alexander Volkanovski feels Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s corner absence at UFC 284 won’t impact Islam Makhachev at all on fight night.
Volkanovski will face Nurmagomedov’s protégé Makhachev in the UFC 284 headliner on February 11th. He’s looking to become the latest UFC ‘champ-champ’ by earning the lightweight title.
Makhachev capped off his remarkable run at lightweight with a submission of Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. After the win, Nurmagomedov and Makhachev called out Volkanovski for the next title matchup.
Nurmagomedov is stepping away from MMA to focus on time with his family and inner circle. He won’t be in attendance at UFC 284 and for the first time in a long time, won’t be cornering his good friend Makhachev.
Nurmagomedov has made a name for himself as arguably one of the top coaches in MMA since retiring as a fighter. However, Volkanovski feels Nurmagomedov’s absence at UFC 284 won’t impact his fight with Makhachev.
Alexander Volkanovski: Don’t Make Khabib’s Absence An Excuse At UFC 284
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Volkanovski weighed in on Nurmagomedov not cornering Makhachev.
“I was surprised at the start, but it doesn’t matter,” Volkanovski said. “Islam’s still gonna turn out. People push narratives and all that stuff. At the end of the day, Islam’s a great fighter, and he’s the one in there doing his work. Khabib would tell you that himself.
“My hand gets raised, don’t make excuses,” Volkanovski continued. “He’s fought plenty of times with Khabib not in his corner and things like that. I’m sure he’ll feel it in preparation and all that, but at the same time he’s done it before and he’s a great fighter and he’ll show up in the Octagon anyway, even if Khabib was there or not. I’m preparing the same.”
Nurmagomedov will likely watch the fight from home but won’t be cageside to watch Makhachev battle Volkanovski.
Volkanovski is fueled with confidence after becoming the UFC’s pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter. He ended his trilogy with Max Holloway in his last fight at UFC 276 via unanimous decision.
Despite Nurmagomedov’s absence, Makhachev is a massive betting favorite as of this writing against Volkanovski. Volkanovski not only wants to become a two-weight world champion but also wants the fight to solely be about Makhachev and not the shadow of Nurmagomedov.