UFC 294 Aftermath: Islam Makhachev’s Left High Kick

In frame one of our first look from fight one, we are looking at a mirrored stance with (1) Volkanovski being the orthodox fighter. Makhachev steps in (2) to throw the left kick to the body. Notice how Volkanovski gets his right hand up, backs up the brace with his left hand, and (3) juts his hips back to soften the blow to the midsection as the kick lands.

Noticing this, Makhachev would draw this reaction out of Volkanovski multiple times in both fights. Scooting his hips back, lowering his hands to block the midsection while keeping his glove up just in case is the go-to for Volkanovski, who is generally the faster fighter. Makhachev is a great athlete, however, and is more than fast enough to sneak these kicks in, especially when he creates misdirection with how he sets them up.

In our second look from the first fight, (1) Volkanovski was just dropped in the pocket trying to bang it out with Makhachev. He’s squared up but in a switched stance and is slightly southpaw. Makhachev (2) steps in to kick and Volkanovski shoots his right hand up and his hips back. He doesn’t get his other hand in to assist with the block. (3) Volkanovski brings his guarding hand forward and turns into the kick as it comes, as he thinks, to the body. (4) Makhachev mixes things up and goes up high and Volkanovski squeezes his gloves up and blocks the kick just enough to negate the blow.

It was this kick that set up the rematch, though.

Makhachev’s Execution

Makhachev’s execution was the bread and butter of the rematch. He and his team found one thing that they liked from the first fight that they didn’t execute on enough. Before the knockout, Makhachev tried the same high kick and Volkanovski had the same problem. He puts his hips back, brings up his hand and swats at the kick to the body.

Before the knockout, we have to establish a few changes from both Makhachev and Volkanovski in fight two. Volkanovski didn’t switch to southpaw once. He started slow like the first time, but he didn’t give Makhachev that uncertainty from the first fight with different looks. It was clear that Volkanovski simplified his approach to the puzzle this time around.

via GIPHY

Makhachev used the push kick as well, something brought up in Beforemath, and planned to intercept Volkanovski on the switch. Any time he inched in, feeling like he could switch, Makhachev threw a push kick to the body to stop Volkanovski from entering cleanly.

The knockout was picture perfect. (1) We start from a mirrored stance and Makhachev steps in to throw the left kick. Volkanovski does, what we’ve talked about this whole time, raise his hand and shoot his hips back. (2) What was different was that Makhachev brought his knee up in a kyokushin style kick. Instead of moving the whole leg with the kick, Makhachev brings up his knee which could be to the body or up top. He (3) hinges at the knee and goes up top as Volkanovski goes down low to swat and block with his elbow. The hinging at the knee created just enough uncertainty in Volkanovski to get the kick through and critically hurt the Aussie champ.

At the end of the day, Volkanovski brought some ideas to the table that could have worked, should he have had time to do so, but Makhachev deserves all the credit in the world. He didn’t let the fight get that far. He went out and finished an opponent that once gave him a tough outing.

These are the types of fights that create a legacy. As close as the first fight was, it created adversity and doubt about Makhachev as the champion. To come back and put a definitive end to this rivalry, if we can call it that, puts him above the rest of the champions as someone who can adapt and not just impose his will as has been the case with the Dagestani dynasty since its inception.

Now Makhachev has his eyes set on the next challenge. It may be the Charles Oliveira rematch or the Justin Gaethje fight. He may go up and face welterweight champ Leon Edwards should he beat Colby Covington. Makhachev’s legacy is already carved out. Now it’s time for him to create the intricacies that put him a step above being just a champion.