"I was enjoying it" - Alexander Volkanovski says Islam Makhachev fight pushed him 'steps deeper' than ever before

Alexander Volkanovski has dubbed his first fight with Islam Makhachev "a high-level chess match." Volkanovski locked horns with Makhachev for the first time at UFC 284 in 2023, and after five tough rounds, he lost by unanimous decision

Many applauded the Australian for his flawless takedown defense and cardio despite the defeat, including his opponent, who later admitted that his first fight with Volkanovski was his toughest one to date.

In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, 'The Great' discussed how Makhachev differs from other fighters, a fact he acknowledged after their grueling 25-minute first encounter. He said:

"In training, most guys will throw one or two attacks — you stuff the takedown, they try to chain it into something else, and you already know where it's going. But with Islam, it was different... He'd get the takedown, I'd counter, then he'd counter my counter, and I'd counter again. We were going two or three steps deeper than I usually have to go. That's what I loved about that fight."

Volkanovski went on to describe the fight as a high-level chess match by mentioning how Makhachev's relentless attacks made it even more enjoyable.

"You could see the smile on my face during the fight — I was enjoying it. Most people would panic in those exchanges, but I felt like, 'I know what you’re doing.' And credit to him — he still got me into some of those positions... Sometimes I’d think I stopped him, and boom — he’d just barely get it. So I'd switch directions and keep going. It was like a high-level chess match. That's what made it fun." [h/t: Home of Fight on Instagram]

Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments below:

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When Alexander Volkanovski stepped in on short notice to run it back with Islam Makhachev

At UFC 294 in 2023, Alexander Volkanovski stepped in on short notice to run it back with Islam Makhachev after Charles Oliveira withdrew because of an injury.

The bout didn't end well for 'The Great' as he was knocked out by the Russian in the first round with a head kick.

Check out Islam Makhachev knocking out Alexander Volkanovski below:

After losing to Makhachev, Volkanovski also lost his featherweight gold to Ilia Topuria, who also knocked out the champion in Round 2 at UFC 298.

However, 'The Great' bounced back earlier this year and was able to capture the vacant featherweight championship at UFC 314 by defeating Diego Lopes.

Meanwhile, pound-for-pound king Makhachev vacated his lightweight throne earlier this year to move up to 170 pounds. He will make his welterweight debut later this year against newly minted champion Jack Della Maddalena.

'JDM' has been vocal about training with fellow countryman Volkanovski before stepping inside the octagon with Makhachev.