Who would have predicted a budding friendship between UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and NBA star Jamal Murray in 2023?
Their connection began last year when Murray visited Australia and offered Volkanovski some basketball tips. In return, ‘The Great’ Volkanovski extended an invitation to delve into the world of kickboxing. Since then, they’ve been frequently seen together, with the 6’4″ NBA star even accompanying Volkanovski to UFC 290 for his featherweight title unification bout against Yair Rodriguez earlier this year.
Jamal Murray hung in with UFC Champion Alexander Volkanovski in a 1-minute submission challenge 👀pic.twitter.com/SULNlL8tE7
— Nuggets Nation (@NuggetsNationCP) September 27, 2023
Murray, a former NBA champion, is a well-known MMA enthusiast and has attended numerous UFC events. In a recent video on Alexander Volkanovski’s YouTube channel, the size difference between the two was evident.
In the video, they engaged in light training, which soon progressed into a brief grappling match. Surprisingly, the basketball player initially displayed impressive skills during the scramble. However, Alexander Volkanovski managed to get back, almost locking Murray in a rear-naked choke, but time was running out.
🥊🏀 ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI VS JAMAL MURRAY EN GRAPPLING !😅🏀🥊
Le champion NBA face au champion featherweights de l'UFC 👌
ABONNE TOI pour ne rien rater de l'actu ⚽️FOOT 🏀BASKET 🥊MMA !#UFC #NBA pic.twitter.com/v2Dci9PEaE
— Alertes Infos Sports ⚽🏀🥊 (@AlerteInfoSport) September 28, 2023
Alexander Volkanovski released the hold and transitioned to a guillotine as Murray rose. Despite a slick submission attempt, the NBA champion refused to tap until the timer sounded. Consequently, he ‘won’ the challenge against the UFC titleholder.
While Jamal Murray lacks formal martial arts training, his size, strength, and agility allowed him to withstand a relentless assault from one of today’s top mixed martial artists. It’s undeniably impressive.
