“I am not just wrestler, I am an MMA fighter” - Islam Makhachev reacts to dominant KO victory over Alexander Volkanovski

UFC lightweight king Islam Makhachev has weighed in on his recent performance against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294.

After headlining the pay-per-view event at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 21, Makhachev did an interview backstage with Megan Olivi. During his time there, the Dagestani spoke about his striking skills and his rigorous training routine. The lightweight king then proceeded to hail himself as currently the best MMA athlete in the world.

"I'm dangerous. Some people maybe underestimated my striking but I can strike with anyone. This guys [Volkanovski] is one of the best strikers in the UFC and I just show my level, you know. I'm not just a wrestler, I'm not just a grappler. I'm always training. I'm an MMA fighter and people have to know that I'm the best MMA fighter in the world right now," said Islam Makhachev.

Check out Makhachev's comments from the 1:50 mark below:

Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski locked horns in a rematch at UFC 294. The Dagestani was originally supposed to compete against Charles Oliveira but the Brazilian withdrew from the fight due to an injury. This led to 'The Great' stepping up as a short-notice replacement.

Unlike their first encounter which lasted all 25 minutes, the rematch was a short-lived affair as the Dagestani successfully defended his throne by scoring a brilliant knockout in the opening round of the fight.