Islam Makhachev says Alexander Volkanovski’s team should’ve never allowed him to make a quick turnaround vs. Ilia Topuria.
Less than four months after getting knocked out by lightweight champion Makhachev at UFC 294 this past October, Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) defended his featherweight title against unbeaten Topuria at UFC 298 in February.
Unfortunately for Volkanovski, he was knocked out in Round 2, and now finds himself sitting on back-to-back brutal stoppage losses. Makhachev points the finger at Volkanovski’s team for letting him compete again so soon.
“Of course (he returned too soon),” Makhachev told MMA Junkie of Volkanovski. “Alex is a good fighter, he is a warrior, everybody knows. He can fight everyday. But I always said that his team is very bad because this mistake is not Alex’s mistake. It’s a mistake the team made because the team has to sit with him and tell him, ‘Hey, it’s too soon.’
“He had a very bad, tough knockout in his last fight. He has to rest for a minimum of three or four months without training, nothing. You have to do some recovery and just wait. He go to fight again too soon. It was a big mistake. He is a warrior, he can come back, but still, he needs some time. He has to listen to his body and give some time for recovery.”
Volkanovski now plans on taking some time off. He is campaigning for an immediate rematch against Topuria at the end of the year, and is even willing to go to Spain to fight him.
