Alexander Volkanovski's nutritionist says maintaining strength during weight-cut was main goal while sizing up for UFC 284

Alexander Volkanovski is chasing greatness at UFC 284, as the featherweight champion moves up to challenge lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.

One of the main talking points heading into UFC 284 is the size disparity between Makhachev and Volkanovski. Standing at just 5' 6", 'The Great' is viewed as an average-sized featherweight, and many expect Volkanovski's weight cut to be considerably easier now that he's moving up to 155 pounds.

However, Jordi Sullivan, Volkanovski's nutritionist, recently said that 'The Great' cut as much weight for the fight as any of his featherweight contests. Sullivan said that Volkanovski put on substantial muscle in preparation for the bout, and the main goal of the weight cut was to maintain the featherweight champion's strength:

"A lot of people think Volk is coming into this fight week and just walking onto the scale. (But) we've done just as much weight, moving wise, as we would do going to featherweight. ... For this camp we've put on quite a bit of size. We wanted to preserve the strength, for Volk, that was the main component. The goal of the camp was to maintain strength, and we did that really well."

Watch the video below:

Islam Makhachev's overwhelming style of grappling combined with the uncanny strength that he possesses has positioned him as a -400 favorite, while Alexander Volkanovski is a +300 underdog.

'The Great' reckons that the lightweight champion has underestimated the difficulty of the challenge ahead. Volkanovski has expressed his eagerness at the chance to "wipe the smirk" off Makhachev's face on fight night.

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Alexander Volkanovski believes Islam Makhachev's legs could be vulnerable to submissions

Alexander Volkanovski has trained with Brazilian jiu-jitsu savant Craig Jones for several years, but Jones' role in this fight camp was arguably more important than any other.

Islam Makhachev's grappling ability has been revered throughout the lightweight division. His submission win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 showcased the unforgiving nature of Makhachev's ground game. Many have speculated about how Volkanovski would deal with the grappling sequences.

Craig Jones was interviewed by Submission Radio a few days ago, where he highlighted a potential weakness in Makhachev's game. Jones pointed to the lack of heel hooks and other leg submissions in Sambo, the martial art Makhachev grew up learning.

During yesterday's interview with Submission Radio, Alexander Volkanovski reiterated Jones' statement, saying:

"(Craig Jones) is not lying when he says they are, especially Islam; he's a little worried about that. As soon as people start going near his legs, he shoots straight up. He doesn't like that; he's probably not good there."

Watch the interview below: