Alexander Volkanovski was the picture of supreme confidence when squaring off with Islam Makhachev ahead of UFC 284. 

During their staredown, Volkanovski told Makhachev 'how's the weight'. 

'Ready? How's the weight?' he said. 'Good?'

Makhachev replied: 'How's your weight?' 

'Easy. Healthy. Strong.'  

At this point, Makhachev went to squeeze Volkanovski's arm before the Australian playfully responded, much to the delight of the crowd.  

Volkanovski is adamant that he can rise to the occasion in Perth and called Makhachev 'weak' for saying that he's crazy to believe that he can be 'champ-champ'.

Volkanovski said: 'I love challenging myself. I love putting myself in this position. I think people should always do that in life. If you want to be successful, challenge yourself. It's going to make you stronger, trust me.

'I'm twice the man I was before I started this camp, because I knew the challenge ahead of me. I ain't scared of the challenge. I know I can rise to the occasion. I know it's going to make me better. That's what people remember. These moments.

'He'll sit there and say I'm crazy for stepping up and all that, I think that's weak looking at it that way. You should challenge yourself. You should put yourself in these positions. Don't look at what might happen if things go wrong — let's look at what happens if things go right. Sunday, it's going to go right and I'm going to be champ-champ.'

Volkanovski added that if Makhachev feels that he will be an 'easy' opponent then he will be left shocked.

Volkanovski continued: 'Supposedly he doesn't really respect me as an opponent. He's thinking that I'm going to be easy. I hope he did his research like we did cause you need to. This is two of the best going at it and I'm going to prove I am the best and I'm going show you why I deserve that No. 1 pound-for-pound.'

Makhachev stressed that he respects Volkanovski but was eager to declare: 'I'm going to beat him easy'.

Asked why he is confident of success, Makhachev said: 'Because I am the champion and this is 155 [pounds] – this is not his area. This is other power, other division, I'm going to beat him easy.

'Of course, I respect him. He's [No. 1] pound-for-pound, but many people say Islam is the best fighter in the world right now, and Sunday morning I'm going to show you why the people think this.'

Volkanovski is undefeated in 22 UFC fights, but Makhachev believes he's completely different to any of the other opponents that the Australian has faced.

Makhachev said: 'Alex is good. Alex is good everywhere but I am different. I have a different style. Like all of his opponents. Like ['The Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung], I'm not going to go crazy straight. Like [Max] Holloway, he just followed him. I have other plans and I always follow my plans and finish my opponent.'