Volkanovski Reflects on Technical Depth of First Islam Makhachev Fight

Alexander Volkanovski continues to hold deep respect for lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, looking back fondly on their first encounter despite coming up short on the scorecards. In 2023, Volkanovski stepped up to challenge Makhachev for the 155-pound title at UFC 284. Although he lost a closely contested decision, the bout earned Fight of the Year honors and is widely celebrated for its elite technical mastery.

Speaking on Kris Fade's show, Volkanovski explained why that initial clash remains so meaningful to him. He noted that while he usually only needs to dig a few layers into his skillset to solve an opponent, Makhachev pushed him further than anyone else ever had.

“What I loved about it was, no one had ever taken me that far when it comes to techniques,” Volkanovski said. “A lot of times I don’t ever get to use all of them. So I might have an answer — someone does something great, and I’ll have an answer; we might only go two or three layers deep, but he took me three, four layers deep. He’d have a counter to this, then I would go there, and he would go there.”

The two met again on short notice at UFC 294 in October 2023, where Makhachev earned a first-round victory. Despite the rivalry inside the Octagon, both fighters have routinely praised each other, and Volkanovski confirmed that their connection outside the cage remains strong, noting that he plans to spend time with Makhachev in Dagestan in the near future.