‘Very impressive’: Jon Jones lauds Alexander Volkanovski for UFC 284 performance against Islam Makhachev

Alexander Volkanovski squared off against Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 284 in February this year. Although the Australian MMA fighter was defeated by Makhachev in the historic bout, Volkanovski received praise from all quarters for his superb gameplay and gritty performance. Volkanovski who is the reigning featherweight champion had promoted himself to the lightweight category in order to challenge Makhachev. Despite losing the bout, Volkanovski retained his top rank in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings.

Ahead of UFC 285 where superstar fighter Jon Jones will lock horns with Ciryl Gane and aim to become the new champion in heavyweight category, Jones lauded Volkanovski for his fantastic bout against Makhachev. Both Jones and Volkanovski interacted on a show for Fox Sports Australia this week.

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"First Alex, you're a freakin' bada** dude. Islam being on your back, you're talking sh*t the whole time, you're punching behind yourself dude. You kept your composure, you didn't freak out. Most people would have panicked. You're in some serious shape dude, very impressive," said Jones.

Meanwhile, Jones is marking a comeback to the octagon after a three-year hiatus since his win over Dominick Reyes in February 2020. In a remarkable manner, he has climbed up the ladder in weight category and will be marking his debut in heavyweight class.

Former Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou has favoured Jones over Gane in the high-voltage contest.

"It depends which Jon Jones is going to be there. Is it going to be the Jon Jones that we know, or just a guy that's there [just] to be there... If Jon Jones shows up, this fight can be a TKO. I think he's gonna take [Gane] down, wrestle and some ground and pound. But it can go the distance if Jon Jones fights defensively. Because then both of them will be defensive fighters. Then it can go the distance," predicted Ngannou.

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