Islam Makhachev was awarded a unanimous decision victory over Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 284. The fight was incredibly competitive, with both men showcasing elite-level grappling and striking.
But despite the close nature of their contest, Nate Diaz believes that Makhachev was thoroughly beaten. The Stockton native took to Twitter to post:
The lightweight champion was informed of Diaz’s comments during his post-fight press conference. Makhachev’s comedic response drew laughter from the media members, as he implied that Diaz may have gotten slightly too “high” before watching the fight:
“Honestly I don’t want to talk about this guy, maybe he smoked something and watched the fight.”
Watch the video below:
Nate Diaz has been a supporter of cannabis use for the entirety of his career and is often pictured smoking marijuana on his social media accounts.
His brother, Nick Diaz, was banned from the sport between 2015 and 2018 because he tested positive for cannabis metabolites following a drug test with the UFC. He was also fined over $150,000, and Diaz’s ban remains one of the biggest tragedies in MMA history, considering the mild punishments that fighters face today for positive cannabis tests.
Islam Makhachev credits Alexander Volkanovski’s durability
Islam Makhachev stated prior to UFC 284 that his goal would be to knock out Alexander Volkanovski. The general consensus heading into the bout was that Volkanovski would dominate the striking exchanges while Makhachev would be superior in the grappling realm.
However, the fight played out incredibly evenly, and both men found success on the ground and on their feet. Makhachev dropped Volkanovski to one knee early on in the fight with a left hook and believes he could have knocked out his opponent had he been less durable.
He credited Volkanovski’s toughness during his post-fight press conference and said:
“I know he is short, I have a longer reach than him. That’s why I was planning to, and I told all the media, I will try and knock him out. I landed many good punches and good knees, but this guy is so strong because he was the best fighter in the world before. Not now.”
Islam Makhachev will soon overtake Alexander Volkanovski as the No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, a dream that the lightweight champion has envisioned his entire career.
Watch Islam Makhachev’s full post-fight press conference below:
