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UFC 284: Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski Press Conference
Two title fights are on the line, so we should expect an interesting UFC 284 press conference, right? Well, not quite! Islam Makhachev doesn’t speak English, and Yair Rodriguez’s knowledge of English is minimal, so might we see a beef between other fighters that take part in the main card of the UFC 284 PPV lift up the heat factor?
UFC 284 Media Day
The UFC 284 media day took place on Wednesday, February 8th, 2023, in RAC Arena, Perth, Australia. NYFights brings you the most entertaining moments from the official PPV media day. Check the highlights at the MMAJunkie’s playlist:
Title Fights
The reigning division champion Islam Makhachev didn’t pay much attention to his opponent, and said that “Conor McGregor will retire for sure if he loses his comeback fight.” On the other hand, Alexander Volkanovski is interested in a Conor McGregor bout if the Irishman beats Michael Chandler.
Josh Emmett won’t throw the interim belt on the ground, but he knows it’s not the real title. Yair Rodriguez says he’ll consider himself the real champ if Alexander Volkanovski doesn’t return to 145.
Main Card
Randy Brown feels overlooked against “shiny new toy” Jack Della Maddalena, while Maddalena says that the plans a “masterclass” against Randy “Rude Boy” Brown.
The Aussie 265-pounder Justin Tafa discussed the hardships of his injuries over a long layoff. Jimmy Crute sees “four or five ways” to beat Alonzo Menifield, and plans to “blow Alonzo out of the water.”
Preliminary Card
Tyson Pedro is fighting two-time Cage Warriors 205-pound champ Modestas Bukauskas, but he didn’t mention the upcoming combat. Pedro is scared for his friend Volkanovski against Makhachev but believes Alex can win.
Josh Culibao gave a thoughtful breakdown of the UFC 284 title fights and other notable combats. His opponent Melsik Baghdasaryan plans to make the Aussie fans cheer him with the KO of Josh Culibao.
Jamie Mullarkey is ready to test the undefeated Argentinian newcomer with a perfect finish record. Shannon Ross detailed fighting with appendicitis in Dana White’s Contender Series, while Jack Jenkins wants to prove Dana White is wrong about being a “one-trick pony.”
Where To Watch UFC 284 Press Conference?
You can take a look at the Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski press conference on the official UFC channel. It will get underway at 3 AM ET (9 AM CET).
UFC 284 Press Conference Highlights
As expected, no beef between Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev. When the two don't speak the same language, it's kinda hard to take part in a heated argument. Yet, Yair Rodriguez provided a detailed breakdown of the fight between the Dagestani wrestler and the greatest Aussie cardio machine.
NOTE: ALL THE TRANSCRIPTS ARE TAKEN FROM THE UFC PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO!
Rodriguez believes Volk won't be able to lock horns with Islam Makhachev, and gives Dagestani a huge advantage in the grappling department.
“I still think that Islam is a fighter who’s not ‘if’ he can get the fight to the ground, but more ‘when’ he takes the fight to the ground,” Yair said.
“So how prepared will Alexander Volkanovski be to defend what’s coming? It’s going to be interesting to see if Volkanovski could finish Islam Makhachev in the early rounds, because as the fight goes on, Islam is going to have more opportunities to takedown and control, takedown and control, and not let Volkanovski do his fight. He can even submit him in the first few rounds.
Styles make fights, and what style Volkanovski employs vs Islam Makhavev will be crucial to his chance of success
Yair simply cannot overlook Makhachev's victory over BJJ expert Charles Oliveira. Guess what, Khabib's teammate finished BJJ specialist with an arm-triangle choke from the top. How impressive is that?
“We just saw how he submitted Oliveira, who’s a jiu-jitsu expert. He made it look easy. I’m not saying it was easy, I’m saying he made it look easy. That speaks to the level that Islam Makhachev has. It’s going to be interesting to see how Volkanovski fights with this type of fighter.”
Yair Sees Chance For Volkanovski Vs Islam Makhachev
Yair Rodriguez is aware of Makhachev's weaknesses. The Mexican believes Volkanovski could win if he fights intelligently.
“He’s going to have to move a lot, keep out of range, enter quickly and use angles so that Islam can’t have much contact with him,” Rodriguez said. “It’s all depending on strategy. That’s why this fight is so interesting. It all depends on the strategy that they bring. If Volkanovski tries to meet Islam Makhachev with wrestling, he’s going to lose. If he tries to keep at a distance and be the smarter fighter, he could win.”
Please click here for more info on the UFC 284 full fight card and UFC 284 streaming options! Stay tuned for the latest UFC 284 news, we’ve got you covered – this is the greatest UFC PPV event in the history of Australia!
