Makhachev was booed hard before the fight in the UFC. The opponent’s reaction is amazing!

On the night of February 11-12, Perth will host the UFC 284 tournament. In the main fight, Russian mixed martial arts fighter Islam Makhachev will defend the lightweight title against local athlete Alexander Volkanovski, who owns the belt in the featherweight division.

According to all forecasts, the fight between the two best fighters of the promotion, regardless of the weight category, can become one of the brightest in history.

Already a few days before the start of the battle, passions are boiling in Australia. The local public greeted our fighter with a loud whistle, but Islam found something to answer the haters.

“Please be respectful”

The UFC 284 tournament in Australia for Russian fans of mixed martial arts is primarily interesting for the main fight of the evening, in which Makhachev will make his debut defense of the championship belt. As rivals, the organizers identified him as a local fighter Volkanovski.

The Australian leads the UFC rating, regardless of the weight category. Islam is next. Now they both have championship belts, but only the lightweight title, which Makhachev owns, is at stake.

A press conference dedicated to the upcoming tournament took place in Perth today. The event brought together several thousand MMA fans, most of whom naturally support Alexander. The appearance of Volkanovski was greeted by the audience with applause and cheers.

Makhachev did not expect such a warm welcome. Fans reacted to the exit of the Russian with a rumble and whistle, only a few applauded the champion. But this did not greatly upset Islam, which he admitted when answering a question from a journalist.

– It’s okay, I just came to Australia, to these fans. Look what will happen when I enter the cage,” Makhachev said.

We must pay tribute to the opponent of the Russian. Volkanovski supported Islam, urging the public to respect our athlete more. Such a reaction can only be applauded.

– He is a good fighter. I have to be ready for anything. I’ll see how the fight goes, and I’ll act according to the circumstances. I hear how the fans react by cheering against him, but I also often perform in other countries. There, the fans are also against me, and that’s fine. But I ask you to show respect,” Alexander addressed the audience.

Islam Makhachev and Alex Volkanovski / Photo: © Chris Unger / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.com

After the press conference, the fighters held a battle of views. The appearance of Makhachev on the platform again caused disapproval and the whistle of the fans, but there was no negativity between the fighters. On the contrary, they had a nice conversation with smiles on their faces.

There was also a funny episode during the sterdown. The fighters touched each other’s biceps, estimating their size. Islam also suggested that the opponent test the strength of the press, and Volkanovski did this by poking his opponent’s stomach with his index finger. Makhachev refused a similar offer.

After that, the fighters were awarded championship belts, and they turned to face the audience, continuing to exchange barbs. It all ended with broad smiles of the fighters and loud applause. The respect between the fighters will certainly be transferred to the cage, but they will definitely not feel sorry for each other.