Alexander Volkanovski struggled to control his emotions following his defeat to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night, with the Australian detailing the mental toil that led to him taking the fight at short notice.
Volkanovski, the current featherweight champion, suffered a brutal first-round TKO loss in his title rematch with lightweight belt-holder Makhachev at Etihad Arena.
The Dagestani, who won their initial encounter in February by unanimous decision, stunned Volkanovski with a head kick before finishing his rival with a flurry of punches.
Volkanovski, 35, had accepted the fight on only 11 days’ notice, stepping in for the injured Charles Oliveira. “I don’t want to sit there and obviously make excuses,” an emotional Volkanovski said at the post-fight press conference. “Obviously, I’m a big believer in preparation and stuff like that. “But I back myself, so that’s the decision I made.