‘Greatest well-rounded lightweight ever’ - Islam Makhachev’s coach declares him the king of the 155 lb. division after KO win over Alex Volkanovski

Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski faced off in the main event of UFC 294 last weekend.

Makhachev was initially set to face Charles Oliveira in Abu Dhabi in a rematch of their much-anticipated clash at UFC 280. The Brazilian was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury less than two weeks before fight night, and 'The Great' accepted a short-notice clash with Islam Makhachev without hesitation.

In Abu Dhabi, the lightweight champion asserted himself as the rightful heir to the throne with a stunning first-round knockout of Volkanovski. Makhachev had often shared his belief that he was more than just an elite grappler, and his head kick KO at UFC 294 affirmed his confidence.

Islam Makhachev's longtime coach and founder of American Kickboxing Academy, Javier Mendez, has now declared that he is the most well-rounded lightweight champion of all time.

Having often drawn comparisons to the former UFC champion and close friend of Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, it appears that the result in Abu Dhabi may have cast a new spotlight on the current lightweight king. Mendez was interviewed by Submission Radio following UFC 294, where he said this:

"I've been saying that in the champion's division, just champions, I'm not talking about other guys that fought in the lightweight division in UFC history. I said [that] in the champion's division, [IslamMakhachev] is the most well-rounded lightweight fighter of all-time. And he proved it, he proved my point."

Watch the video below from 9:55:

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Demetrious Johnson speaks out after predicting Islam Makhachev's head kick KO at UFC 294

Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski faced off at UFC 294 in a short-notice rematch of their clash at UFC Perth earlier this year.

Both men entered their second fight brimming with confidence, with 'The Great' predicting a finish inside three rounds, whilst Makhachev stated that he was a better version of the man who stood across from Volkanovski in February.

It was difficult to look past an Islam Makhachev victory at UFC 294, given Volkanovski's lack of preparation time, but few would have expected the Dagestani to land a stunning head kick that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas. One man who correctly predicted the lightweight title fight was Demetrious Johnson. Prior to the clash in Abu Dhabi, he said this:

"This is where he should be blasting that f***ing body kick. Blasting the leg too, and then go up to the head, just blasting it."

Following the fight, 'Mighty Mouse' shared his thoughts about his immaculate prediction, saying this:

"Easy! That kick was there all f***ing day. All day! When you're fighting someone who's longer. I know this game so well because I've had to deal with it."