"Volkanovski kills Sambo" - Training partner Craig Jones says 'Russian dancer' Islam Makhachev may cause ultimate demise of his sport

Islam Makhachev is set to defend his title against Alexander Volkanovski for the second consecutive fight after a late change in the UFC 294 main event.

Makhachev was initially set to face off against Charles Oliveira next weekend, but 'Do Bronx' suffered a nasty cut above his eye the day before he was scheduled to fly to Abu Dhabi. The injury forced Oliveira to withdraw from the bout, with the UFC asking Volkanovski to fill in for 'Do Bronx'.

'The Great' accepted the rematch against Islam Makhachev without hesitation, and Alexander Volkanovski's Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach, Craig Jones, has now shared his thoughts on the clash.

Jones believes that Volkanovski can put an end to the martial art of Sambo, should he defeat Makhachev at UFC 294. Sambo is a martial art of Russian origin and was made most famous in MMA by former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Craig Jones was recently interviewed by Submission Radio, where he said this:

"[A win over Islam Makhachev] makes him a man that disproved Sambo. That'll trump his legacy in the sport, because we've wasted another martial art. Most martial arts were killed in 1993, somehow Sambo has limped and lingered on to 2023. So Volkanovski kills Sambo, and we get to stop hearing about this Russian dancer."

Jones continued:

"When I first heard it I thought they were talking about the Brazilian dance of Samba. And honestly, that is a more frightening prospect, Islam dancing Brazilian Samba."

Watch the video below from 4:05:

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Craig Jones shares definitive prediction for Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294

Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski will do battle in the main event of UFC 294 next weekend after Charles Oliveira was forced to withdraw due to injury.

Makhchev and Volkanovski are set for an epic rematch of their UFC 284 clash in February, where the Dagestani defeated 'The Great' via unanimous decision.

Volkanovski's ability to defend and counter the takedowns of Islam Makhachev surprised all who watched, with none of the lightweight champion's previous opponents providing such a stiff test.

Ahead of UFC 294, Craig Jones, the BJJ coach of Volkanovski, shared his prediction for fight night. During the aforementioned Submission Radio interview, he said this:

"So obviously Islam loves an arm-triangle, if he tries to pull any of that bulls**t he's going straight into a buggy choke. He loves to take the back from turtle, if he tries any of that s**t he's getting kneebarred. So I think wherever it goes, he's getting submitted." [4:50-5:07]