Combat Sports

PREVIEW: UFC 284

Islam Makhachev will attempt to defend his Lightweight Championship Belt against Australian Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. Josh Gaillard previews the card.

by
Joshua Gaillard
February 10, 2023

Islam Makhachev will attempt to defend his Lightweight Championship Belt against Australian Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. Josh Gaillard previews.

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

Perth will play host to the battle for the UFC Lightweight Championship of the world. And boy do we have an absolute cracker of a fight to look forward to.

It’s Lightweight Champion vs Featherweight Champion, pound for pound number two vs pound for pound number one, undisputed versus undisputed, Makhachev vs Volkanovski.

The co-main event is also a decent-looking prospect, with flashy Mexican Yair Rodriguez going up against Josh Emmett.

Main Event

Islam Makhachev 23/100 | Alexander Volkanovski 11/4

You very rarely see two fighters in their absolute prime headlining a UFC card. We’re in for an absolute treat here as Islam Makhachev faces off against Alexander Volkanovski.

The Russian is ready to cement his status as the best lightweight in the UFC with a first title defence against the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world and featherweight king, Vokanovski.

Dagestan has become synonymous with the world of mixed martial arts. Another of the nation’s pride and joy, Makhachev (23-1) is in search of establishing a legacy similar to that of former undisputed, and undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The 31-year-old made his UFC debut in 2015 with a win and suffered his first and only professional loss thereafter, but his dominance since has been unprecedented.

A 10-fight win streak put him in a prime position to face his toughest test, Charles Oliveira, and securing UFC gold in such dominant fashion over one of the scariest individuals on the planet is a true statement of intent.

To be the best you must beat the best, and Volkanovski (25-1) has been doing just that. The 34-year-old has three wins over Max Holloway, who many at the time thought was one of the best featherweights to ever compete.

Utterly dominant title defences against top contender Brian Ortega and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung, and wins over former division champions Chad Mendes and the legendary Jose Aldo have cemented the Aussie’s status as a great.

Volkanovski is undefeated in the UFC and rides a professional win streak of 22 fights. There is nothing he cannot do with his ever-changing physique, and there is no scenario in which he is unfamiliar with, collecting 12 knockouts, three submissions, and 10 decisions.

Verdict: Islam Makhachev by decision 5/2

The big factor here for me is Volkanovski’s move up a weight division, but scanning his career shows that he is primed and ready for this particular challenge. Unsurprisingly, he is the shorter fighter by 10cm, however, he possesses a 3cm reach advantage.

The challenger has faced more sizable opponents in his career making his first five pro appearances at welterweight and then five lightweight showings which include his UFC debut.

Volkanovski is exceedingly well-versed in several facets of mixed martial arts, while Makhachev is the superior wrestler whose ground game is miles ahead of his opponent. I reckon this one will go the distance, with the Russian edging it by decision.

Co-Main Event

Yair Rodriguez 57/100 | Josh Emmett 5/4

The undisputed featherweight king has moved up a weight division to challenge for the lightweight belt, and the division he temporarily leaves behind will crown an interim champion.

Top-five ranked contenders Yair Rodrigues and Josh Emmett step into the octagon in a bid to reach the pinnacle of the division.

Rodriguez (14-3) has pitted himself against some of the best featherweight names the division has to offer and found success. Wins over Dan Hooker, Andre Fili, former UFC champion BJ Penn, as well as Jeremy Stephens are among his more notable wins.

However, losses against former champions Frankie Edgar and Max Holloway have stunted his progression The 30-year-old’s recent victory against Brian Ortega perfectly slotted him into position to fight for the interim belt.

Josh Emmett (18-2) took a slightly different path to this fight. The 37-year-old bagged wins against fighters who perhaps aren’t near the top of the division, but that isn’t to say he lacks the skill required to mix it up with the Mexican.

Since his loss against Jeremy Stephens, Emmett has racked up a five-fight win streak over Michael Johnson, Mirsad Bektić, Shane Burgos, Dan Ige, and Calvin Kattar.

Verdict: Josh Emmett Win 5/4

Momentum is undoubtedly in the corner of Emmett, riding that five-fight win streak, but Rodriguez cannot be overlooked in any sense.

The Mexican fighter is slick and unpredictable, making him a nightmare for even the best of names.

I reckon Emmett’s one-shot knockout power should see him to victory here. Some decent value at 5/4.

Top Treble for UFC 284:

Makhachev Win 23/100
Tafa Win 7/10
Prado Win 24/10

Treble to win at 6/1

Full card predictions

Main Card: 05:00 CAT, Sunday 12 February

Lightweight (C) Islam Makhachev (C) (23/100) vs Alexander Volkanovski (11/4): Makhachev
Featherweight (IC) Yair Rodríguez (57/100) vs Josh Emmett (5/4): Emmett
Welterweight Jack Della Maddalena (2/7) vs Randy Brown (47/20): Maddalena
Heavyweight Justin Tafa (7/10) vs Parker Porter (1/1): Tafa
Light Heavyweight Jimmy Crute (43/100) vs Alonzo Menifield (16/10): Crute