It’s rare for the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 weightlifters to go head-to-head in any combat sport. In the modern era of MMA, that may never have happened before, with Jon Jones versus Daniel Cormier The 2015 UFC light heavyweight title fight was the only one that came close.
On Saturday, however, there will be no argument. Alexander Volkanovski is the undisputed top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Islam Makhachev 2. And they’ll be fighting each other for the UFC lightweight title in the main event of UFC 284 in Perth, Australia. Volkanovski, the UFC featherweight champion, will be promoted and up against the larger Makhachev, who will have a 4-inch height advantage and perhaps also a power advantage.
Makhachev (23-1) defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 last September through a second-round submission for the 155-pound belt. The Dagestan tennis player has won 11 consecutive matches, including 5 finishes. Makhachev, 31 years old, is a longtime training partner and friend of Khabib Nurmagomedovthe great former lightweight champion of all time.
Volkanovski (25-1) has a perfect 12-0 in the UFC and has won 22 straight fights. Australian-born boxer defeated Max Holloway to claim the featherweight title at UFC 245 in December 2019. Volkanovski, 34, has had four successful title defenses, most recently with a decisive victory over Holloway last July at UFC 276, a win. his third against the 145-pound heavyweight.
Follow us for a live coverage of UFC 284 with analysis from Sam Bruce, Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim.
