Alexander Volkanovski is all geared up to take on Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, where they will be clashing for the coveted lightweight title. This sudden match-up comes as a result of Charles Oliveira’s unexpected withdrawal due to injury. The rivalry between Volkanovski and Makhachev began with their previous encounter, where “Volk” put on an impressive showing against Makhachev despite coming from a lower weight class. This time around, not only the fighters but also their coaches are at odds with each other.

Rivalries among fighters are a common occurrence in combat sports. However, the emergence of banter and rivalry between coaches is a relatively recent phenomenon in the world of the UFC. Just as MMA matches often serve as proxy wars between these coaches, it’s worth noting that Craig Jones will be facing off against none other than Khabib Nurmagomedov when Alexander Volkanovski engages in his highly anticipated rematch against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.

Alexander Volkanovski and his Coach Craig Jones’s statement on sambo leaves fans laughing

Craig Jones, Alexander Volkanovski’s coach has been seen trolling Russian Sambo up and down in his recent statement. Fairly recently he claimed that “Sambo is 100 percent fake,” he confidently declared during an interview on The MMA Hour this Wednesday. Adding more fuel to this banter in his recent statement, he has added about the origins of sambo.

Jones took to his Instagram handle to illuminate the origins of sambo. He added  “So Sambo was started by two Russians, Viktor and Vasili. They traveled to Japan and they learned Judo. Judo is in a Kimono top and kimono pants. And what these guys did, they said, hey wouldn’t this be better if we took our pants off? That’s the origins of Sambo. And there’s nothing wrong with that. People think it’s a bit weird, but it’s a Russian thing.”

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Jones’s origin story of Sambo left the combat community on a laughing spree. Former UFC fighters Rafael Dos Anjos and James Gallagher burst out laughing as they reacted with laughing emojis.

Some of the other comments by the fans are as follows: –

We talk about volk’s lack of notice for this fight but Craig literally had zero notice to troll the sambo community. Got to respect that level of readiness 

So sambo is Russian judo?

I’ve seen fighters talk shit to other fighters, I’ve never seen one talk shit to a whole country

One user warned Craig Jones to gain more intense security for his sake.

Craig needs extra security in abu dhabi

One social media user made an interesting summary.

Half judo half wrestling

Some users highlighted Jones’ positive traits.

Craig Jones for UFC Color Commentator.

Knows how to troll and tell an interesting story at the same time – skillz

It is evident from the reactions of the fans that they are amused by Jones’s story about the origins of the sambo. They emphasize that Jones is probably the first coach in the history of MMA who has trolled an entire country. Nonetheless, as per Jones Khabib Nurmagomedov started this battle.

Craig Jones claims Khabib Nurmagomedov started this beef

Craig Jones stated that it was not he who started the trash-talking between the two camps rather, it was Khabib Nurmagomedov who started it. Jones observed one of Nurmagomedov’s interviews where he stated, “If sambo was easy, it would be called jiu-jitsu.” This was the trigger point for Jones.

Jones in a statement added, “Khabib started this beef, and in terms of pure grappling matches, there’s not a good sambo guy on earth. “Obviously, the skill set they have translates quite well to MMA, but in terms of pure grappling, there are some holes in the game. They banned rotational leg locks, so it is a limited grappling skill set.”

Read More: Dana White Turned Against the Idea of Kamaru Usman vs Khamzat Chimaev Months Before Saving the UFC 294 Card With Ex-UFC Champ- “I’m Not Interested in It”

With even the coaches getting involved, It will be interesting to witness the Alexander Volkanovski vs. Islam Makhachev matchup. What’s your opinion on Craig Jones’s statement about Sambo? Do tell us in the comments below.

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