'It’s about numbers, not what’s interesting’ - UFC lightweight star shares theory on Islam Makhachev facing Alex Volkanovski over Mateusz Gamrot

Islam Makhachev was scheduled to face Charles Oliveira at UFC 294 last month, but 'do Bronx' suffered a last-minute injury that forced him to withdraw from the clash.

Mateusz Gamrot had already been announced as the official backup fighter for the bout however, the UFC chose to keep 'Gamer' as the lightweight title fight replacement, with Alexander Volkanovski filling in for Oliveira.

'The Great' stepped up on 11 days' notice to take on Islam Makhachev in an epic rematch of their UFC Perth clash in February.

There was not much uproar from fans when Gamrot was not chosen to replace Charles Oliveira after the Brazilian suffered a brutal cut above his eye in training. But one man who would have preferred to have seen 'Gamer' take on the lightweight champion was Beneil Dariush.

The lightweight star believes that Volkanovski's lack of preparation made the UFC 294 clash a less fascinating matchup than a potential Makhachev vs. Gamrot fight.

During a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Dariush shared his theory as to why Islam Makhachev took on Alexander Volkanovski, and not 'Gamer', saying this:

"I actually would've preferred to have seen Gamrot in that, 'cause he was a replacement, right? The Volkanovski fight is great, don't get me wrong... it's just he had 9 days to prepare coming off an [elbow] surgery... Obviously you're not gonna get the best Volkanovski."

He continued:

"Gamrot had just fought, he fought Fiziev and he looked good... I thought Gamrot would have been a more interesting fight. But I understand it's not about what's more interesting, it's more about numbers."

Watch the video below from 4:00:

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Islam Makhachev holds a lightweight striking record following KO win over Alexander Volkanovski

Islam Makhachev faced off against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 last month in an eagerly awaited rematch of their clash earlier this year.

The UFC Perth fight was incredibly close, with Makhachev winning via unanimous decision, but many felt that 'The Great' deserved the win.

The anticipation for their rematch could not have been higher, and Makhachev silenced all doubters after landing a superb head kick in the first frame before finishing Volkanovski on the ground.

For years Islam Makhachev had been saying that he was more than just a wrestler, and he proved just that at UFC 294. Following his win, he overtook Justin Gaethje as the lightweight with the highest significant strike accuracy in UFC history.

MMA journalist Aaron Bronsteter reported the following:

"Makhachev surpasses Justin Gaethje for the highest significant strike accuracy in lightweight history after landing 82% of his significant strikes in tonight's main event."