Islam Makhachev slams Alexander Volkanovski for accepting fight for 'just money' at UFC 294 press conference

Islam Makhachev is preparing to defend his lightweight title in a highly anticipated rematch against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294. The PPV event is set to take place on Saturday, October 21, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

The UFC featherweight kingpin stepped into the fight with only 12 days' notice, filling in for the injured Charles Oliveira. While some critics believe this short-notice change reduces the pressure on Volkanovski, it's important to note that he's moving up in weight for the second time, aiming to join a very exclusive group of UFC fighters who have held titles in two weight classes simultaneously.

The pair initially faced each other at UFC 284 in February, where Islam Makhachev triumphed with a hard-fought unanimous decision in Alexander Volkanovski's home country, Australia.

However, in this rematch, the lightweight champion is brimming with confidence due to the support of the home crowd in his second home, Abu Dhabi. During the pre-fight press conference for UFC 284, Islam Makhachev expressed this conviction:

"This fight everything is going to change. I want to finish him and finish all the talk about the last fight. Here everything is on my side."

He also contended that his opponent accepted the fight solely for monetary reasons:

"You don't need nothing, you just need money. Everybody knows why you come, tell the people how much more they [UFC] give you for the fight. Just make money, shut up, and go home."

Check out Makhachev's comments below (from 12:00):

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Alexander Volkanovski responds to Islam Makhachev's "no excuse" remark

Ever since their clash at UFC 284, Alexander Volkanovski has been eager for a rematch with Islam Makhachev. With the recent announcement of their UFC 294 main event, Makhachev left no room for doubt, cautioning Volkanovski not to use limited preparation time as an excuse if he were to suffer another loss.

However, during the recent pre-fight media interaction, 'The Great' delivered a stern message to the 155-pound champion:

"I guarantee you that there is not many fighters that would do this. You heard Islam say, 'No excuses,' and things like this. One thing I want to say is, put it this way, if the roles were reversed, this fight is not happening. I don't care what anyone says, [Islam] is not fighting on 12 days' notice. So he needs to remember that."

Check out Volkanovski's comments below (from 2:15):