“Of course, things will be different, but I have already fought without him several times, and he cannot be around all the time,” the Russian said in an interview with FOX Sports. “When the cell door closes, there is still no one around, so this will not be a problem”
“Of course, it’s good to have Khabib around, because he knows everything I need for a fight, for a weight race, and there is no need to worry about it. When such an experienced person is around, it is always good. You don’t need to waste your energy thinking about other things, but I understand that he should spend more time with his family. With all the fights, training, his family misses him. Even though he retired, he still travels a lot. That’s why I understand his decision.”
Recall that the fight between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski, in which the Russian will defend the UFC lightweight championship belt, will head the UFC 284 tournament in Perth, Australia, on February 11.