Who Will Win?

UFC 284 Fight Night: Makhachev vs Volkanovski

Australia hosts UFC 284 as the main card sees two champions go toe-to-toe for the UFC lightweight championship. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski makes the move up to lightweight to face lightweight title holder Islam Makhachev in his quest for a second title.

Islam Makhachev is presently riding an 11-fight winning streak in the UFC. Last time out, he defeated Charles Oliveira to claim the lightweight championship at UFC 280.  Makhachev comfortably defeated the Brazilian in the second round and will be a tough opponent for Alexander Volkanovski to take on.

The Australian Volkanovski has lost only once in his MMA career, that loss coming nearly ten years ago when Corey Nelson delivered a brutal third-round KO to hand “The Great” his solitary loss ever since.

As a result, Volkanovski will enter the octagon confident that he can maintain his unbeaten record even against a formidable opponent like Makhachev.

Makhachev was anointed as “the next one” by teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov upon Khabib’s retirement. He has so far lived up to the billing, winning 11 straight fights and earning four straight stoppage wins on his way to claiming the title last October. A victory against Volkanovski will further cement his growing legend in MMA.

However, Volkanovski comes into this fight riding a wave of momentum after being named the UFC “Fighter of the Year”   following two stellar performances in 2022  in which he didn’t lose a single round in two fights during the year. 

Makhachev vs Volkanovski Tale of the Tape

Fighter Strengths

Both champions have distinctive fighting philosophies, with Volkanovski being a striker and Makhachev being a grappler.

Both fighters bring unique fighting styles to the octagon, making for an exciting match-up.

Islam Makhachev is known for his grappling and ground-and-pound skills. Makhachev’s grappling skills are considered to be some of the best in the division, and he has been able to use them to control and finish opponents. Makhachev’s ground game is complemented by his striking ability, which has been honed through years of training in sambo and wrestling.

Alexander Volkanovski, on the other hand, has great cardio and striking ability. Volkanovski is a pressure fighter who likes to push the pace and wear down his opponents. He has knockout power in both hands and is able to finish fights with either strikes or submissions. Volkanovski’s striking skills are also complimented by his defensive grappling ability, which will be essential against Makhachev, who, like Khabib, has the grappling pedigree that comes with the Dagestani fighting clan.

Despite both fighters having unique fighting styles, they both share a common weakness. Makhachev and Volkanovski both struggle with their striking defense, which has been exposed in the past by their opponents. This weakness could play a key role in the outcome of the fight, as the first fighter to land a clean shot could be the winner.

The upcoming UFC 284 fight between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski is one of the most highly anticipated bouts of the year. Both fighters bring unique fighting styles to the octagon and have the potential to finish the fight in any round.

While Makhachev has the advantage of not moving divisions, Volkanovski has fought in a higher weight class before and has never suffered a submission loss in his MMA career; however, no one has successfully fended off a Makhachev takedown yet.

This is a difficult fight to predict that is likely to go all five rounds, but in the end, it could come down to the bigger and stronger fighter, Makhachev, using the physical advantage he has to edge the fight.

Bet on 

• Makhachev to win @ 1.25