UFC 284 - Islam Makhachev Vs Alexander Volkanovski 2023

At UFC 284 on Saturday night in Perth, Australia, two of the UFC's top fighters will square off against each other. Featuring two title fights and one of the greatest rivalries in UFC history, it promises to be an epic spectacle!

Makhachev, the defending lightweight champion, is one of the most dominant fighters in UFC terms of power-to-weight ratio (P4P). While he faces an uphill battle against Volkanovski, Makhachev still hopes to add another division and world championship to his resume.

1. Islam Makhachev weighs in at 145 lbs.

This weekend, the UFC returns to Australia for an epic event: UFC 284, taking place at RAC Arena. Featuring two title fights and plenty of action on paper, this card promises an explosive evening!

Islam Makhachev will defend his lightweight belt against Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of the show. This promises to be an exciting battle between these two pound-for-pound champions as they strive to unify their titles.

Thankfully, both fighters have made weight on the scales and are set for action this weekend in Perth, Australia. The UFC weighed all of the fighters on Friday morning to confirm that everyone stayed within their weight limit.

Both fighters weighed exactly 145 pounds, but it's clear they are both larger than their division requires. Refueling and rehydrating in the next 24 hours is key for them both; neither has ever missed weight before, and Makhachev faces an uphill challenge as he attempts to become champion at this weight.

Shamefully, the weight cut will be a real test for both of them as they must prove they're up to the challenge. And if neither makes weight, this could become an exciting storyline over the weekend as both could miss out on becoming champions in 155 lbs division.

The 155 pound division is filled with former champions and the current pound-for-pound number one in the world defending his title at this weight. If either of these fights wins, then it will only add to the already deep nature of this division.

Volkanovski and Makhachev will face off for the interim featherweight title at UFC 284. This contest is significant because the victor will have a shot at challenging 155 pound champion later in the year, unifying the division.

2. Alexander Volkanovski weighs in at 145 lbs.

Alexander Volkanovski is set to defend his UFC featherweight championship against Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia. Although the Dagestani lightweight champion has a 4-inch height advantage over Makhachev, Volkanovski has hinted about adding bulk to his game in order to take on the larger Russian.

As a former rugby player, Volkanovski used to weigh over 214 pounds before turning professional and began cutting weight to compete at 145 lbs. As his weight dropped further, the Australian moved up through welterweight and eventually featherweight divisions.

Volkanovski began his rugby career playing the 'Front-Rower' position, which is usually reserved for larger players on the team. This put him up against formidable opposition - which Volk affectionately refers to as 'Monsters' - which inspired him to pursue a career in fighting.

At the time, he was considered one of the best in his area. According to former Warilla Gorillas teammate Ngatai Hetet, he regularly crumpled men much bigger than himself and earned himself the nickname 'Shrek'.

He went on to win several matches before being promoted into the top flight, though his main rivals were Max Holloway and Brian Ortega. Ultimately, though, he defeated both of them twice to become a UFC champion.

In his initial title defense against Holloway, he prevailed by decision. This set him up for another successful title defense against Ortega in September.

On Saturday, if he were to win at 145 lbs, it would mark his second title fight in a lower weight class and make him one of only a few UFC champions who has achieved this feat twice. Such an achievement would be an incredible accomplishment for someone like 'The Great' whose legacy-focused mindset goes far beyond winning championships.

In an interview with ESPN's Marc Raimondi, he admitted to once being over 200 pounds. This is a stark contrast from his current weight of 170 lbs, which must be shed before fighting Makhachev.

The UFC featherweight champion has expressed his empathy towards Paddy Pimblett, who despite making the non-championship lightweight limit for his last two fights has gained significant weight before those bouts. This issue is one that he can relate to since he himself used to experience similar issues.

3. Yair Rodriguez weighs in at 145 lbs.

Yair Rodriguez (currently 15-3-0) tips the scales at 145lbs and stands 5'11". His reach extends up to 71", making him one of the tallest fighters in UFC.

He is currently ranked number 2 in the featherweight division and goes by El Pantera in the UFC. Rodriguez trains at Valle Flow Striking and boasts an impressive record with 3 wins and zero losses to his name so far in his career.

The former taekwondo athlete has made significant efforts to develop his offense at boxing range and is also an adept stance-switching kicker with an opportunistic mindset. In his most recent fight against Brian Ortega, Rodriguez was able to secure the best TKO win of his career.

He has thrown some of the most devastating strikes in UFC history, connecting on 4.67 per minute - more than double his opponents' rate. When it comes to wrestling, Rodriguez scores a takedown at an astounding 0.83 per round while Emmett successfully blocks 66% of attacks from opponents.

In the MMA world, fighters' net worth is an estimate of how much money they make from fighting. This number can vary but typically takes into account pay-per-view cuts, sponsorships and other "locker room" or discretionary bonuses they may receive from sponsors. Additionally, adding in any money received from spouses should also be taken into consideration. Generally, those with more earnings have more funds for training and travel expenses; additionally, healthier fighters usually perform better inside the Octagon due to financial stability.

4. Josh Emmett weighs in at 145 lbs.

Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski appeared to be on track for their respective 145-pound championship weights at UFC 284's official weigh-ins in Australia on Friday. The two pound-for-pound stars will square off in a bout on the UFC 284 main card, with both hoping to take home the coveted chameleon title as they do battle.

The winner of this fight will become the first MMA fighter ever to claim a belt from another champion. Dagestani champion Makhachev is unbeaten in 11 straight fights, including his submission victory over Charles Oliveira to claim the lightweight title at UFC 280.

He's a formidable grappler, having averaged 3.42 takedowns per 15 minutes on average. However, he only absorbs 0.95 significant strikes per minute compared to Volkanovski's 3.53 average.

Though the Dagestani wrestler will likely have the edge in the clinch, Australian wrestlers have shown great skill at shooting takedowns from below or taking positions against a cage. His size and strength give him plenty of opportunities to work a heavyweight game that could prove too much for Russian opponents.

But, he must also be wary of the Dagestani warrior's explosiveness and takedown defense. Make sure he does not allow Volkanovski to get inside his guard or begin circling around it.

Emmett earned his third and final victory against Calvin Kattar at UFC Fight Night: Arantes vs Stephens in May 2016, defeating him by knockout to retain the Featherweight interim championship.

Emmett has since transitioned from Lightweight to Featherweight and gone 5-0 with three consecutive victories. He defeated Michael Johnson (UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje), Mirsad Bektic via KO/TKO before going on to earn decision victories over Shane Burgos, Dan Ige, and former Featherweight champion Calvin Kattar.

Emmett has had a stellar 5-0 record, but has yet to find his footing inside the Octagon. To continue climbing the featherweight rankings and establish himself as one of the division's top contenders, he must win his first title defense against Volkanovski.

Alexander Volkanovski 'Ain't Scared' to Take on the Biggest Challenge of His Career

Alexander Volkanovski is not afraid to take on his biggest challenge yet. The reigning featherweight champion will make the switch to lightweight to take on Islam Makhachev in an electrifying title bout at UFC 284 on February 11 in Australia.

If he wins, the Russian will become the latest two-division champ in company history - an incredible accomplishment for any fighter, let alone one who is already close to reaching that critical validation of being an all-time great.

Ahead of UFC 284

On Saturday night in Perth, Australia, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski takes on Islam Makhachev for a thrilling UFC title bout on the biggest night in Australian MMA - and he's not scared.

Volkanovski has said he doesn't fear moving up a division and looks forward to the challenge, declaring that if he wins he won't be scared to enter the welterweight division.

On March 3rd of 2015, he won the 145lb crown and is looking to become a two-division champion while continuing his quest for record books. He believes he can put aside any distractions of double champ status while showing his mettle against undefeated Makhachev (23 wins, 1 loss) on Saturday evening.

He says he's willing to put on extra weight in order to beat Makhachev, who stands four inches taller and has a wider reach at 5-foot-6. The extra bulk will enable him to handle Makhachev's tough grappling style better.

Volkanovski views this fight as an opportunity to showcase his skillset as a professional fighter. Winning another UFC title at another weight class could put him on par with Daniel Cormier or anyone else on Volkanovski's shortlist if he were to secure one.

Though the main event may get all of the attention, there are also a number of exciting fights to look forward to on Saturday night. Starting with an exciting interim featherweight belt fight between Josh Emmett and Yair Rodriguez in the co-main event.

On the UFC main card, two championship bouts will take place: Islam Makhachev versus Volkanovski for the lightweight title.

In the other main event, Dominick Cruz and Khabib Nurmagomedov will square off in a bantamweight title fight. If Cruz wins, then he'll be promoted to 155lbs and become the new UFC middleweight champion.

'The Great' is confident Islam Makhachev will not be smirking

On the eve of UFC 284, 'The Great' is ready to give Islam Makhachev a fight for his lightweight title. The former featherweight champion will aim to become two weight champion when they square off in Perth, Australia on February 12th.

Volkanovski has enjoyed an impressive 22-fight winning streak, but has never faced off against an opponent as talented as Islam Makhachev. The Dagestani fighter boasts remarkable grappling prowess and an intimidating ground game that was developed under Khabib Nurmagomedov, the fighter-turned-coach.

He hadn't faced a top ten opponent in his entire career, but when he faced Charles Oliveira at UFC 280, the Russian's wrestling power and submission victory earned him widespread attention as one of the division's top contenders. That is why Nurmagomedov is backing his star pupil to take down Oliveira at UFC 280 and secure the lightweight title for Russia.

When asked if he is nervous ahead of the fight, 'The Great' responded that no, he is not scared at all. This is because he has complete faith in his abilities.

The Australian's striking is a major asset, as his pinpoint accuracy will prove too much for Makhachev to handle. He can counterattack and win rounds by taking his opponent down, creating openings for himself to score points in the process.

Even though he may not be the most confident striker, that won't stop him from getting involved in a brawl and drawing his opponent into it. With his high cardio output and capacity to draw in larger men, 'The Great' could find himself facing off against an intimidating adversary.

He's an impressive counter striker, capable of throwing his kicks with pinpoint accuracy. Additionally, he's a skilled clinch warrior who doesn't hesitate to get into the clinch and tie up opponents.

His 68 percent takedown success rate can be attributed to his ability to identify and exploit opponents' vulnerabilities. He can tie up an opponent with a strike, then use speed and wrestling to create contact that leads to a takedown.

'Thug Nasty' claims he can get the better of 'The Great'

UFC featherweight contender Bryce Mitchell has a beef with current champion Alexander Volkanovski ahead of their historic UFC title bout this weekend. 'Thug Nasty' has been vocal about criticizing the Australian champ for taking easy victories over top contenders to maintain his status as a two-division champion.

Though he lost his initial UFC bout at UFC 226 against Calvin Kattar, the Arkansas native has since rebounded with three impressive victories against Edson Barboza (four takedowns, 11:28 control time), Andre Fili (seven takedowns, 10:12 control time) and Charles Rosa (five takedowns, 12:51 control time). This ability to apply pressure and maintain top control has proven an immense asset in the octagon; something which must be maintained if he wants to reach for the top end of this division.

He's an impressive grappler and can get the best out of his opponents. In fact, he has only lost by submission once in his MMA career - against Matt Sayles - and if he can defeat Topuria on Saturday then he could potentially move up into serious consideration for middleweight glory.

He's the type of fighter that would be hard to break away from. That makes him an especially formidable prospect in The Ultimate Fighter 27; voting him the best prospect across all UFC divisions.

Thug Nasty, the 28-year-old rapper with quirky conspiracy theories and impressive rap skills, should be watched for any potential big winners this weekend. With his unique blend of skillsets, it's not hard to see why he could become a true superstar in the MMA world.

He possesses the personality and character to become a star in the Octagon, but it will be important for him to demonstrate some of his striking ability as well. If he can continue dominating on both ends of the mat, then he could certainly challenge for the division's top spot.

Although he appears to be a strong contender for a title shot this year, there are plenty of other worthy contenders to consider as well. He currently ranks just outside the top 10 in his division but could rise significantly once official rankings are released.

'The Great' is closing in on the critical validation

Volkanovski is close to achieving the validation he so desperately desires. A victory against Islam Makhachev on Sunday could make him both UFC champion at 145 and 155 pounds, joining stars such as Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo and Amanda Nunes in an elite club.

Australian featherweight champion Mark Conley is ready to take on his toughest challenge yet and he won't back down. On Sunday in Perth, he promises not to let down his fans with one last fight like no other.

'The Great' has a reputation for seizing opportunities to win titles, and he won't let this one pass him by. Unbeaten in his current weight class, 'The Great' believes he can become only the fifth fighter in UFC history to achieve this feat.

His reign over the 145-pound division has lasted three years, and he's already defeated both other holders of the UFC featherweight crown. A win on Sunday would propel him to the summit of MMA and open up a world of title fights ahead.

In the weeks leading up to this fight, he's talked about adding bulk in order to better cope with Makhachev's larger frame. However, this change is temporary and only meant for this one matchup.

It's a strategy that has worked for 'The Great,' who has been able to defeat some of the top lightweight fighters in the game such as Max Holloway and Jose Aldo. Additionally, 'The Great' has become an unstoppable force at 155 pounds where he's won nine out of his last ten fights.

He's sure he can take down Makhachev on the mat, and that is his goal. His coach Javier Mendez expects it to happen on Saturday night.

'The Great' knows he must stay committed in order to come out on top, and he has every confidence in his ability. His attitude as well as his skill set will be essential factors in this title bout.

'The Great' is not afraid to get down and dirty on the ground, despite his height. A skilled striker, he has battled some of the top jiu-jitsu fighters worldwide. On Sunday, all that hard work will be rewarded.