Islam Makhachev believes his stunning victory against Alexander Volkanovski in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night proved he is the best mixed martial artist athlete in the world.
The lightweight champion, now 25-1 as a pro, successfully defended his title in the headline bout at Etihad Arena, knocking down Volkanovski with a brutal head kick in the first round before quickly sealing a TKO win.
Speaking to media following his victory, Makhachev said: “Some people underestimated my striking; in the first fight I showed people my striking.
“I think now, people will respect my striking. And I show I’m not just wrestler, grappler or striker. And I know I am best MMA fighter in the world.”
The win represented Makhachev’s second success against Volkanovski in eight months. In February, when the Australian was ranked the UFC's pound-for-pound No 1 and Makhachev its No 2, the Dagestani prevailed in Perth by unanimous decision.
Makhachev, whose win streak climbs to 13, said he had worked on the head kick throughout training for UFC 294, adding that he felt know that he had silenced those who doubted he defeated Volkanovski in the initial bout in February.
Volkanovski, the current featherweight champion, took the rematch on only 11 days’ notice following Charles Oliveira’s withdrawal through injury.
“Really happy to finish him first round, because if it happened in championship round people start to talk, ‘He took this fight short notice; he’s not ready for championship rounds’.
“But I’m really happy, because I finished all these things in the first round. Well done. All this story with Volkanovski is finished right now.”
On Saturday, UFC CEO Dana White said he thought Makhachev’s next bout should be a rescheduled encounter against Oliveira.
The pair were supposed to rematch at UFC 294 – Makhachev defeated the Brazilian in Abu Dhabi 12 months ago – but Oliveira pulled out earlier this month having sustained a serious cut above his eye in training.
“It’s not my job; Dana has to work on this,” Makhachev said. “I just will sign the contract. Just send me the name. But my opinion, I feel like I already have two opponents.
“Charles? OK, I will beat Charles, but who’s going to be next? [Justin] Gaethje? He will wait? I don’t think it’s a good idea, but it is what it is. If they say Charles, OK. If they say Gaethje, for me it’s OK. It doesn’t matter – I will be ready.”
At UFC 280 last October, Makhachev submitted Oliveira at the beginning of the second round, ending his rival’s 12-fight win streak and clinching the lightweight title for the first time.
Of a potential rematch, Makhachev said, “It’s not going to be different. I will show him, and he will feel a hard time. He will give up, and I will choke him or finish him.”
Meanwhile, middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev suspected he suffered a broken right hand early in his majority-decision win against Kamaru Usman in the co-main event.
The unbeaten Chimaev had dominated the former long-standing welterweight champion on the ground for the majority of Round 1, but could not maintain that superiority thereafter.
Chimaev, now a Dubai resident competing under the UAE flag, took the decision 29-27, 29-27, 28-28. It lifted his pro record to 13-0.
Speaking to TNT Sports and other broadcasters, Chimaev said: “I dominated the guy first round,” Chimaev said: “In the first round, last minute, I think I broke my hand. It was hard to wrestle and keep him down, but I couldn’t use my right hand, so we’ll see what’s happening.
“Maybe it’s broken, maybe not, but you feel pain. I don’t know. I don’t care. I won. My hand was up.”
Elsewhere on the card, UAE history-maker Mohammed Yahya lost a unanimous decision to Trevor Peek, with the judges scoring the contest 29-28, 30-27, 30-27 in the American’s favour. Yahya, also Dubai-based, became the first Emirati to compete in the UFC.
There was some controversy on Saturday night, though, when the light-heavyweight bout between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker was declared a no contest after Ankalev landed an illegal knee three minutes into Round 1.
Walker, from Brazil, took the strike to his head while his knee was touching the canvas. Walker demanded to continue, but the cage-side physician ruled that he could not go on, much to both his annoyance, and the packed Etihad Arena.
Speaking to media after the event had concluded, UFC CEO Dana White said: “Listen, the [physician’s] inexperienced. He got up in there – I think there’s a lot of things that probably happened.
“I guess he asked [Walker], ‘Where are you right now?’ And his response was, ‘I’m in the desert.’ He’s not wrong. I think there’s a big language barrier in there between the two of them. And he’s inexperienced. It sucks.
“It’s one of those things that happens sometimes. We’ll make it right, and we’ll fix it.”
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
