Jamal Murray ‘Beats’ UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski, 3 Months After Winning NBA Championship

Jamal Murray, just 3 months off his championship-winning season with the Denver Nuggets, has added another feather to his cap. A recent video on X (formerly Twitter), by ‘Basketball on X’, showcased Murray alongside none other than UFC Featherweight Champion, Alexander Volkanovski. In the footage, Murray ‘beat’ Volkanovski in his own unique way.

It’s worth noting that Volkanovski holds the coveted featherweight title and stands at an impressive No.2 on the UFC pound-for-pound list. Since clinching the title by defeating Max Holloway in a dominant 2019 showcase, Volkanovski has successfully defended his championship five times.

Denver Nuggets Jamal Murray ‘beats’ UFC Champion Alexander Volkanovski

In the much-discussed video, Murray and Volkanovski engaged in an intriguing challenge. The UFC champion took up the gauntlet, aiming to submit Murray within a tight 60-second window. Now, for someone of Volkanovski’s caliber, this should have been a fairly easy challenge, especially considering that Jamal Murray has no significant fighting or submission training of his own. 

UFC Champion Alexander Volkanovski attempts to submit NBA Champion Jamal Murray in under a minute pic.twitter.com/iQaVhceLxQ

— BASKETBALL ON (@BasketballOnX) September 27, 2023

However, despite a valiant effort, including a last-ditch guillotine choke, Volkanovski fell short of making Murray tap within the stipulated time frame. 

This unexpected outcome can be viewed as a triumph for Jamal. Resisting submission attempts from a fighter of the caliber of Alexander Volkanovski is an incredible achievement for anybody, especially for an athlete who has no formal training in mixed martial arts. After watching the video, it would be quite fair to say that Murray definitely ‘beat’ Alexander Volkanovski.

Volkanovski is a Denver Nuggets fan

It’s no surprise to see Volkanovski rubbing shoulders with Murray. The UFC champion openly professed his allegiance to the Denver Nuggets.

In an interview with Daniel Cormier, the former UFC light-heavyweight and heavyweight champion, Volk confessed his love for the Nuggets. Perhaps, the opportunity to meet a star from his favorite NBA team was too good to pass by, even for one of the most dominant fighters on the planet.