It turns out Khabib Nurmagomedov was really worried for Islam Makhachev prior to his UFC 284 fight with Alexander Volkanovski.
Makhachev earned a razor-thin unanimous decision win over Volkanovski in their lightweight title fight back in February in a contest many observers felt the latter did enough to win.
Many had also underestimated Volkanovski going into the fight given the massive size difference only for him to perform well above expectations and arguably win the fight.
However, Nurmagomedov certainly wasn't one of those underestimating the Aussie according to American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez.
“Khabib would call me up and would say, ‘Coach I’m really worried about this fight, Volkanovski is really tough, I’m concerned for Islam a little bit on this one,’” Mendez said during a Jibber with Jabar interview (via MMA Mania). “I was like, ‘I’m not, we’re gonna win this fight. I don’t know how easy or how hard, but we’re gonna win this fight. So, I know you’re worried Khabib, but I’m not worried.’
“And he goes, ‘I know, I know, coach, but we know this is a tough fight, we have to prepare for a tough fight,’” he continued. “I go, ‘Yeah, that’s true, but I still feel like we’re gonna win.’ Fast forward to the fight, it was everything Khabib Nurmagomedov said that would happen in the fight, and it was a super tough fight.”
Given how many felt Makhachev had lost, it's fair to say it was a tough fight indeed and Nurmagomedov was right to be worried about it.
Volkanovski and a large number of MMA fans have also called for a rematch down the line — and according to Mendez, it's all on the UFC.
“Was it a tough fight? Hell yeah. Was it tougher than I thought? Hell yeah,” he added. “Did they gain my full respect? Hell yeah, he got my respect. But am I looking forward to the rematch if they have one? Hell yeah. I want that rematch and I know Islam wants it too. So we’re not dodging nothing.
“If the UFC puts that match together, it’s gonna happen. It’s gonna happen willingly on both parties. They’re [Volkanovski’s team] gonna want it, we’re gonna want it and I would hope they [the UFC] would make it a huge event because that fight delivered. It was everything that was expected.”
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