Islam Makhachev gave fans an update on his preparation for his highly anticipated fight with Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev, a native of Dagestan, Russia, apparently took part in a traditional Russian banya. Such baths include hot steam baths, cooling off in the open air and/or immersion in ice water and rolling in the snow.
As we all know, the banya is an important part of Russian culture. The word “banya” means a complex bathing and is also used to describe public baths in this Eurasian country. The temperature in the steam room often exceeds 93 degrees Celsius (199 degrees Fahrenheit).
In a video posted to the ESPN MMA Twitter account via Islam Makhachev’s Instagram account, he can be seen leaving the “sauna” wearing a hat. Hats are usually made of wool/felt and help protect the head and hair from heat and possible burns.
To further increase the temperature and sweating in the steam room, bathhouse visitors use a “venik” – a bunch of birch, eucalyptus, juniper, oak and other branches. “Venik” also helps to heal wounds, scratches, joint and muscle pain.
The video shows Islam Makhachev leaving the steam room and diving into the icy water of a nearby pool. The UFC lightweight champion then lay down on the ground and covered himself with snow. Makhachev then returned to the steam room and sweated again.
UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is set to defend his title against UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. The superfight will take place on February 12, 2023, at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Although the fight will take place in Volkanovski’s home country of Australia, many consider Makhachev to be the favorite to win.
In a recent interview with sports journalist Helen Yee, Makhachev’s coach Javier Mendez spoke about the training his longtime student received in Dagestan, Russia. The veteran coach said he expected Makhachev to win. However, he doesn’t think the Russian MMA fighter can beat “Volker.”
Johnny Payne is a staff writer for Sportskeeda, specializing in covering mixed martial arts. He has also studied and trained in various martial arts, always striving to improve his fighting skills, especially hand-to-hand combat. He enjoys covering mixed martial arts (MMA) as he admires the sport as one of the purest forms of legitimate bare-knuckle fighting competition in the modern era. Johnny has also covered professional wrestling in the past.