UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev on the airwaves of the channel, he spoke about the preparations for the battle with Alex Volkanovski noting that Australia reminds him of Makhachkala.
Makhachev (23-1), 31, will make his first lightweight title defense against Australia’s Volkanovski (25-1; 34) at UFC 284 on Feb. 11 in Perth. For this fight, featherweight champion Volkanovski will move up to the lightweight division from 65.8kg to 70.3kg.
How is the preparation for the fight going?
– Good. After the last fight, I almost did not rest, I immediately started training. The first stage took place in Makhachkala, the second stage went to Elbrus, spent two weeks in the mountains. And arrived in Australia in 20 days.
– Why didn’t you rest, is it the first time or not?
– It is morally difficult to be constantly in training, there is nothing wrong with that. I flew to Australia with the team in Sydney, there was a media day, and from there I flew to Perth, we live near the arena, our team is d about 10 people. Now the load has already been reduced, no more light training, diet, drink water.
– How’s the weather?
— The nature here is good: mountains, rivers, it reminds me of Makhachkala, everything is nearby. The sun does not say that it is pressing, there is no abnormal heat.
Do you feel attention?
– I immediately realized that MMA is very popular here, people recognize me on the street, they ask for tickets, I immediately said that they only gave me tickets for the team and that there weren’t any more. They say tickets for the arena sold out within the first 5-10 minutes.
Does it affect you in any way that you are fighting in enemy territory?
– When there is support, it can even influence the judges in one way or another. With each shot, the public reacts, can confuse the judges, but martial arts is not a team sport, you enter the cage alone, so it’s a little different.
Is there anything bothering you about Alex’s arsenal?
– He has good stand skills, I have to consider his pressure, stamina and choose a fight plan correctly.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
