Islam Makhachev underestimating Volkanovski, says Dan Hooker

Dan Hooker feels that UFC Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is underestimating UFC Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Makhachev, after winning the title with a submission over Charles Oliveira, had called out Volkanovski. The Australian is currently the top pound for pound ranked fighter in the UFC and Hooker feels that Islam and his team is looking down on Volkanovski.

"For Islam to turn around very quickly and call out Alexander Volkanovski...I feel like they're doing it because obviously it's a chance at the No.1 pound-for-pound rank, but I feel like they are kind of looking down at [Volkanovski]. They're in for a whole lot of trouble,” Hooker said while talking to Submission Radio.

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Hooker, who has already fought Islam Makhachev, noted that Volkanovski is a tough fight for the Russian champion.

"He's an incredibly difficult man to hold on the ground. He [Islam Makhachev] keeps saying that he's short and stuff like that but holding a guy that's stocky on the ground is incredibly difficult. So I feel like he's in for an icredibly tough test,” he added.

Makhachev captured the UFC Lightweight title at UFC 280 with a submission win over Charles Oliveira. He has been on an impressive winning streak and has expressed his interest in taking over the P4P rankings that the UFC currently has.

As for Volkanovski, he has been unstoppable in the Featherweight division and has taken out most of his contenders in the division. He had earlier expressed his interest in moving to Lightweight and reiterated the same when he was called out by Islam Makhachev.

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What do you think of a match between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski? Let us know in the comments below.

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