12 February 2023 , 12:08
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Islam Makhachev has revealed the details of his phone call with Khabib Nurmagomedov just moments after beating Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284.
Makhachev, 31, made the first defence of his lightweight title by winning a decision against featherweight champion Volkanovski on Saturday night with scores of 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46. Volkanovski was moving up to lightweight for the first time in his UFC career and was attempting to become just the fifth double-champ in promotional history, but the Australian met his match in Makhachev after going unbeaten in 22 fights.
Nurmagomedov wasn't in the corner of Makhachev despite guiding him to his UFC title win against Charles Oliveira last October in Abu Dhabi. The UFC legend, who retired from fighting in 2020, opted to step away from MMA entirely last month to spend more time with his family. This didn't stop Nurmagomedov from speaking with Makhachev moments after his win and he was critical of his childhood's friend performance.
"He [Khabib] was so nervous and he was saying, 'why were you doing this'. I was like 'Hey, if you came to the fight, if you were in my corner I could've done this [what Khabib was suggesting] but you didn't come,'" Makhachev revealed. The fight was undoubtedly Makhachev's toughest test since his lone UFC loss in 2015, with many fans insisting that Volkanovski was "robbed" of a win.
Volkanovski has since rewatched the fight just hours after his defeat and believes he won rounds two, three and five. Makhachev believes he won all but one of the rounds, admitting that Volkanovski won the final round after scoring the only knockdown of the fight. The Russian praised his opponent for being a tough challenger and said his wrestling skills surprised him on the night.
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"He was such a short and hard opponent, I needed a tough fight as I have to improve. I thought he was going to be easy on the ground, but this guy improved a lot and I needed a tough guy. I showed why I'm number one, you like or you don't like I am the best fighter in the world right now," Makhachev said.
"I prepared for a hard fight, in the last round he landed a good punch but all of the other rounds I won, in my opinion. After he landed the good shot in the last round, I went down and tried to get a triangle choke or armbar. First round I landed good shots many times but this guy is so strong, he always tries to push you."