In an electrifying rematch set to unfold on October 21 at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will face off against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
This epic showdown comes after their previous encounter at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia.
Unlike his last bout on home soil, Volkanovski steps into the octagon this time with the odds slightly against him in terms of fan support. Nevertheless, a source of encouragement arrived from a special friend.
A video from none other than Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The co-founder of Facebook expressed his anticipation for the bout and threw his support behind Volkanovski in his quest for a second belt.
Zuckerberg stated: “Hey Volk! Really excited for your fight this weekend. Your last one was already one of the best fights of the year and this time, I’m looking forward to seeing you go out there and cement your status as one of the greatest of all time. Alright, good luck and have fun out there, man.”
Clearly elated, Volkanovski responded to the video with heartfelt appreciation. He said: “How good’s that. Not every day you get a shout out from Mark Zuckerberg, eh? It’s pretty incredible. So uh, that’s legit.”
“Now look, uh, obviously you know we keep in touch anyway so he’s been great but uh, that’s cool. We’re usually just doing voice messages or messaging but to see him actually saying that, that’s cool. It is cool. I appreciate that, thank you.”
It’s worth noting that Alexander Volkanovski and Mark Zuckerberg share a unique bond, having trained together in the past.
The clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 proved to be one of the most closely contested matches of the year, ultimately swaying in favor of Makhachev.
But this time around, Volkanovski harbors grander ambitions. In an interview on The MMA Hour, he boldly declared:
“I believe I finish him. I think you’re gonna see probably one of the most dangerous Volkanovskis you’ve ever seen, just purely because I can’t afford to do anything else. Stuff leaving it to the judges.”
“Stuff any of that. Let’s just go out there and really set a statement. Go and knock him out? That’s going be an absolutely mind-blowing for the world to see.”