CONOR MCGREGOR surprisingly praised Islam Makahchev after his title defence against Alexander Volkanovski.
The Dagestani destroyer retained his lightweight title with a unanimous decision victory in their UFC 284 thriller Down Under.
GETTYIslam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski went to war at UFC 284[/caption]
GETTYMakhachev retains his lightweight title via unanimous decision[/caption]
TWITTERBoth men were praised by Conor McGregor[/caption]
The mixed martial arts world was buzzing after the clash of the pound-for-pound No.1 and No.2, as was McGregor.
He tweeted: “That was a great fight last night lads! No loser there just winners.
“The Ozzie and the Ozzie’s showed out and I f****ng loved seeing it!
“Perth looks f****ng tasty too, now I see why so many Irish are there.
“I should’ve went out, former titles on the line. Congrats all at @ufc.”
McGregor’s praising of Makhachev’s performance came as a surprise to many as he’s the protege of the Irishman’s bitter rival Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The pair came to blows in the infamous UFC 229 post-fight brawl, in which McGregor evaded a punch from Makhachev and landed a left hand.
The Notorious took aim at Makhachev after his short-notice clash with Bobby Green last May.
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He said: “I’ll fight that s**t stain Makchavich, no sweat. Embarrasing g’n’p the other night IMO.
“Pitful punching. And then bottles the RDA fight after mouthing of him lol.
“Embarrassing. Watch when I come back.
“Same as before. Anyone. Any weight. Anywhere. Game full of s**t stains.”
Former two-division champion McGregor, 34, hasn’t set foot inside the cage since breaking his leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
But the Dubliner will be back in action later this year in a blockbuster showdown with Michael Chandler.
A date for the pair’s showdown hasn’t been finalised, but they’ll clash after coaching season 31 of the Ultimate Fighter.
The date for the fight hinges on when McGregor re-enters the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s drug testing pool – which he must be in for a minimum of six months before he can compete.