Islam Makhachev

Makhachev defeated Alexander Volkanosvk at the event in Perth in a thriller that saw the Russian win by unanimous decision. Volkanosvk was trying to become ...

Proved it in a hard, competitive fight against the best active fighter on the planet. [Makhachev defeated Alexander Volkanosvk at the event in Perth](/sport/mma/article-11741563/Islam-Makhachev-DEFENDS-lightweight-title-Alexander-Volkanovski-falls-painfully-short-UFC-284.html) in a thriller that saw the Russian win by unanimous decision. Let's do the rematch, anywhere, anytime!' .But you didn't come.'" He said: 'He was so nervous. [Makhachev defeated Volkanosvk in the main event in Perth in a thrilling fight](/sport/mma/article-11741563/Islam-Makhachev-DEFENDS-lightweight-title-Alexander-Volkanovski-falls-painfully-short-UFC-284.html)

Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, and Chuck Mindenhall take to Spotify Live immediately after a wild Sunday morning in Perth, Western Australia.

Makhachev has always been touted as Khabib 2.0, but his victory at UFC 284 didn't follow the blueprint.

[Max Holloway](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/2614933/max-holloway) and one against [Jose Aldo](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/2447641/jose-aldo). Makhachev was somewhat in control for most of the way, but Volkanovski was always in the fight. From here, Makhachev will look for his next lightweight challenge, and Volkanovski will head back to featherweight, the division he has ruled since 2019. He attempted nine takedowns and landed four, getting the fight to the canvas in all but the final round. And he used clinches to control stretches of the fight while standing. Even just symbolically, having the former champ not in his corner produced a tangible indication of how dissimilar a fighter Makhachev is from his longtime training partner. He was Volkanovski's equal for five high-level rounds of trading punches and kicks. So Nurmagomedov, who since retiring as a fighter had been coaching Makhachev, stepped to the microphone right after that UFC 280 main event and picked a fight. And when Makhachev had his hand raised after earning a unanimous decision, he stood front and center under the bright lights in Perth, Australia, with a group of coaches quietly applauding him from the shadows in the background. It wasn't a matter of Nurmagomedov trying to steal the spotlight. Last month, the former champ announced he was stepping away from coaching. The future had arrived for Makhachev that night, and his friend knew there was more to come -- if they made it happen.

When you're the pound-for-pound best in the world, you find ways to win. And that's what Makhachev did in front of a massive pro-Volkanovski crowd Saturday.

5. Loma Lookboonmee levels up · 4. Jack Della Maddalena continues to roll · 3. Yair Rodriguez shines to claim interim gold · 2. Alexander Volkanovski deserves ...

1 pound-for-pound spot, and someone is going to need the performance a lifetime to take it away from him. But even with that slight bias in trying to look smart, I can’t come away from watching that fight live from cageside and claim Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) lost, or Volkanovski was robbed. He’s an absolute beast, and if you don’t think this five-round battle where he was tested to his very limit is going to make him better going forward, you’re kidding yourself. Instead, he decided to challenge himself and try to become just the fifth simultaneous two-division champion in company history. Volkanovski dared to be great when he could’ve been more risk-averse and protected his position, and that’s a mindset many people should take inspiration from. Volkanovski pushed Makhachev harder and further than anyone else has inside the octagon, and he was right on the cusp of getting it done. He’s a multi-layered threat in that cage, and every single one of his fights is a must-watch. Of course, it was indeed the power in his punches that floored Brown and set up the rear-naked choke, but the fact Maddalena had the wherewithal to seamlessly switch to the choke instead of punching goes to show he’s got some well-rounded instincts. And though he’s still not quite there with the interim belt rather than the undisputed one, he’s finally reached the level his supporters hope to see him at. He’s got an all-time great fighter waiting for him, but if he can get the job done, we’ll have to reassess the entire spectrum of Rodriguez’s career. Lookboonmee (8-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is a noted Thai striker, and had never finished a fight in the UFC. He’s dealt with injuries, spats with the UFC brass and more as he’s tried to navigate his way to the top.

Alex Volkanovski fell short in his bid to become a double champion in the UFC, but he and Islam Makhachev put on a dazzling display in their battle for ...

See The Fight Results As They Happen, Watch Post-Fight Interviews With The Winners And More From RAC Arena In Perth, Western Australia.

[Official Scorecards](https://www.ufc.com/news/official-judges-scorecards-ufc-284-makhachev-vs-volkanovski) ](https://plus.espn.com/ufc/ppv?ex_cid=DSS-OFF-UFC-INARTICLE-EN) [Alexander Volkanovski](/athlete/alexander-volkanovski)(25-1, fighting out of Windang, NSW) will attempt to make history yet again by becoming the first Australian to reach double champ status [Watch On ESPN+](https://www.ufc.com/ppv) [Josh Emmett](/athlete/josh-emmett)(18-2, fighting out of Sacramento, CA), currently ranked No.5 UFC featherweight, has five straight wins and is coming off a split decision win over Calvin Kattar in June [Watch On ESPN+](https://www.ufc.com/ppv) [UFC 284: Makhachev vs Volkanovski](/event/ufc-284), live from RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia. The Mexican-born striker has just one loss in his past five fights [Jack Jenkins](/athlete/jack-jenkins)(10-2, fighting out of Melbourne, Australia) will make his UFC debut after winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series earlier this year. [Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski](/athlete/alexander-volkanovski) will take on newly crowned UFC lightweight champion, [Islam Makhachev](/athlete/islam-makhachev) in a five round championship bout. [Justin Tafa](/athlete/justin-tafa)(5-3, fighting out of Brisbane, Australia) will face American, [Parker Porter](/athlete/parker-porter)(13-7, fighting out of Hartford, Connecticut) [Watch On ESPN+](https://www.ufc.com/ppv) [Tyson Pedro](/athlete/tyson-pedro)(9-3, fighting out of Sydney, Australia) will take on [Modestas Bukauskas](/athlete/Modestas-Bukauskas)(13-5, fighting out of London, England by way of Klaipeda, Lithuania) [Watch On ESPN+](https://www.ufc.com/ppv) Jenkins will face [Don Shainis](/athlete/don-shainis)(12-4, fighting out of Stoughton, Massachusetts) at featherweight [Watch On ESPN+](https://www.ufc.com/ppv) [Loma Lookboonmee](/athlete/Loma-Lookboonmee)(7-2, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand) meets [Elise Reed](/athlete/elise-reed)(6-2, fighting out of Princeton, New Jersey) at strawweight [Watch On ESPN+](https://www.ufc.com/ppv)