“Used to be biggest hater but he’s growing on me” – Islam Makhachev’s WHOLESOME gesture to Alexander Volkanovski’s daughter after midnight break-in story leaves fans emotional

Alexander Volkanovski's daughter remained fearful of father not being able to defend against Islam Makhachev; Dagestani responds in kind and rewarding gesture.

“Used to be biggest hater but he’s growing on me” – Islam Makhachev’s WHOLESOME gesture to Alexander Volkanovski’s daughter after midnight break-in story leaves fans emotional

Islam Makhachev surprises with kind gesture towards Alexander Volkanovski (Source: Instagram)

As an MMA enthusiast, would you consider lightweight king Islam Makhachev to be a soft-hearted characterization? Standing at 25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC, he has finished many opponents. With a 5-1 TKO and 11-0 Submission stat, he is famed for his brutal transitional submissions going viral. There’s also the matter of him ruthlessly dubbing down Arman Tsarukyan, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and Charles Oliveira‘s chances. So how would 2-time rival Alexander Volkanovski fare against his demeanor?

Fairly well actually. The second win of Makhachev over Alexander Volkanovski was much more decisive than the first. He knocked down the Aussie with an early head kick in their UFC 294 rematch. This was a redemption arc for Makhachev, vindicating himself from a lackluster shot. Despite that, Volkanovski’s jiu-jitsu coach, Craig Jones revealed on the El Segundo podcast that the fighter paid for their lunch money. 

YouTube video

Now, Islam Makhachev has done it yet again. Right before UFC 298 takes place, Volkanovski is seen opening a toy present from the fighter, courtesy of his wife‘s IG reel (@emmavolkanovski). This comes in light of a hilarious proposition from Volkanovski’s daughter considering if the fighter were to ever rob them at their house. A prime comment on X goes – “Used to be the biggest hater but he’s growing on me for real.”

FS Video

This isn’t his only philanthropic gesture though. Right before UFC 280, he had visited the kids at Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, along with Belal Muhammad; part of the Al Jalila Foundation’s AJFSports Ambassador program. And fans have accordingly reacted to his continued philanthropic strain.

Fight fans react to Islam Makhachev sending a present to Alexander Volkanovski’s daughter

25-1 Dagestani sensation Islam Makhachev had gone up against Alexander Volkanovski for quite some time now. Notwithstanding their back-to-back hash-outs, ‘The Great’ and his corner subtly pinned PED usage on him after UFC 284. Alongside, in the lead-up to the rematch, BJJ coach Craig Jones has critiqued Makhachev’s win legitimacy on lacking submissions.

Islam Makhachev stands by Alexander Volkanovski, before and in the wake of UFC 298
Islam Makhachev stands by Alexander Volkanovski, before and in the wake of UFC 298 (Twitter/UFC.go.com)

Despite this, he maintains a deep reverence for Volknaovski; his latest stint only goes to show that even more. Makhachev had sent over a gift for his daughter, before his UFC 298 title defense. And here’s how the MMA community has reacted to it –

https://twitter.com/MariaFernandyta/status/1759057303154688377?s=20
https://twitter.com/Goalsandyellows/status/1758986588262949059?s=20

A multitude of fans have commended Islam Makhachev’s kind-hearted display. Concurrently, he also penned down a thoughtful tweet, encouraging former champ Volkanovski to bounce back strong after his UFC 298 loss. The featherweight lost out claims on his title gold after a sensational knockout loss against Ilia Topuria.

Accordingly, a fan has also gibed at the matter, saying Volkanovski’s daughter would now be fearful of the new victor Topuria, after her father’s recent skid.

Makhachev however, has gone along and commended the Spaniard as well.

In case you missed it: