Alexander Volkanovski breaks down Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286

Alexander Volkanovski has weighed in on the upcoming lightweight clash between Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev this Saturday at UFC 286.

During a recent episode of Main Event on FOX Sports Australia, Volkanovski spoke about how the two lightweights match up and provided a breakdown of the fight.

He mentioned that he's happy to see Fiziev get an opportunity against a top five-ranked lightweight:

"I just love how every time [Justin] Gaethje fights, they're matching him up with guys that are gonna stand and bang with him as well, which is majority of the people we were saying earlier that are in the top five anyway... I'm pretty close with Rafa [Fiziev], so I'm glad he gets to fight somebody in the top five and against a big name like Gaethje." [0:56 - 1:16]

The featherweight champion continued by describing their respective fighting styles and noting that they both love to do damage when throwing strikes in the pocket. In that area, he thinks Fiziev has the advantage:

"I think he's [Fiziev] a little bit better in the pocket too. This could be a bias because I've trained with him. Even though I know Gaethje is very calculated, a lot of people think he's just a brawler, but he still is very calculated. He's actually got some really good setups, especially as they exit." [1:22 - 1:35]

It will be interesting to see whether Volkanovski's prediction is accurate as it pertains to Fiziev's ability to pose a threat in the pocket and earn a finish.

Check out the full video:

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Islam Makhachev open to a rematch with Alex Volkanovski

Islam Makhachev recently opened up about his performance against Alexander Volkanovski in their superfight at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia. He noted that he would be open to a rematch with the reigning featherweight champion.

During his appearance on the Weighing In podcast with Josh Thomson and 'Big' John McCarthy, he shared his thoughts on the expectations for him leading up to the fight.

He mentioned that he believes that he could have performed better and wouldn't be opposed to a rematch in the future if there was a strong demand from fans:

"I always smash my opponent. I want to finish him too, you know, and I know I can do this. And if he won maybe couple of fights or next fight and I win my next fight, why not? If people want, we can do again." [10:58 - 11:15]

It remains to be seen whether that's the direction the UFC want to go in, especially considering that there have been new contenders who have emerged in their respective weight divisions.

Catch the full interview below: