Alexander Volkanovski has revealed more about his tough loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in 2023. Makhachev’s original opponent for the bout, Charles Oliveira, had withdrawn due to an injury sustained in sparring just weeks out from the event. As such, Volkanovski stepped up on short notice to take on the lightweight champion, but he came up short as Makhachev finished the fight via knockout in the very first round.

But in a recent interview, Volkanovski revealed that he had struggled with “discipline” in his preparation for the fight. However, his reason for the loss didn’t sit well with the MMA fandom as they made their displeasure known in the comment section and blasted ‘The Great’ for his perceived “excuses”!

Alexander Volkanovski makes startling confession about UFC 294 loss  

After his defeat at UFC 294, Volkanovski opened up about his mental state in a candid press conference. The Australian revealed that he had been struggling with inactivity and took the short-notice fight as a way to stay active and keep his mind busy.

But in a recent interview on the ‘FREESTYLEBENDER’ YouTube channel, Volkanovski disclosed that he had been drinking frequently before getting the call for a rematch with Makhachev on short notice!

He revealed, “I’m known for being disciplined all year round, 24/7 and I just wasn’t that time. I was really disappointed. I was more upset with who I was in the previous months leading up to that…. I was drinking every day for like three or four weeks.”

The Australian fighter also admitted that he wasn’t fully prepared for the rematch opportunity, as he was still recovering from hand surgery and not in his usual disciplined state. He expressed, “I was like, ‘All right, I’ll have a couple of drinks here, they’ll go down good,’ you know what I mean? It was going down too good. Every day I went to cans with the fam…”

Overall, Volkanovski’s candid revelations shed more light on the challenges he faced leading up to the rematch with Makhachev, but the fans weren’t too pleased with the update as they made their thoughts known in the comments!

‘The Great’ draws flak from the fans for his “excuse”  

Fans were vocal about wanting Volkanovski to accept his loss

dude shut up. you lost that’s it

Others pointed out that he should not have taken the fight if he felt like he wasn’t prepared

yeah yeah sure, more excuses. Don’t take the fight if you aren’t ready lol

Some provided a humorous take at the situation

My guy was on a legendary bender and got the call for Islam

While others wanted to know if fighters could “just say they lost”

Can anyone just say I lost… and leave it at that!?

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People also drew comparisons to the situation surrounding Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s fight

Now everyone gonna use this against Islam’s knock out, just like what they did about Conor’s drinking before the Khabib fight

Some fans appeared to be in Volkanovski’s corner as they pointed out that his reasoning was valid

People saying excuses but with the fact he took it so short notice and didn’t look half as in shape it’s not a stretch lol

But others blasted the featherweight champion for his prior statements

Remember him telling his fans not to use that excuse only for himself to use it lmfaoo it’s getting pathetic, he’s better than you brother

In conclusion, the reaction from fans regarding Alexander Volkanovski’s explanation for his loss to Islam Makhachev is largely negative with only a handful of fans supporting ‘The Great’. This debate underscores the passionate and diverse perspectives within the MMA community when it comes to athletes addressing their losses, and highlights the community’s emotional response towards supposed “excuses” by fighters!

What do you make of Alexander Volkanovski’s stunning revelation about his loss at UFC 294 to Islam Makhachev? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

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