Champions will collide down under this weekend as UFC lightweight Islam Makhachev defends his championship against current UFC featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski. If the challenger is victorious in Australia, he will become just the fifth simultaneous two-weight champion in company history.
As main events go, it is as beautiful-matched as they come. Makhachev has not lost in his last 11 fights, a winning streak that stretches back eight years. Volkanovski’s own unbeaten run outstrips even that, with 22 wins over the course of a decade without defeat. In short, these guys are in the form of their lives.
The excitement doesn’t stop there. Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett will clash with the interim featherweight gold on the line. There’s also outings for knockout artist Jack Della Maddalena, the return of the ‘Bad Man’ Justin Tafa and a light heavyweight assignment for Jimmy Crute.
Here’s everything you need to know for when UFC lands down under.
Where: RAC Arena, Perth, Australia
When: Saturday 11th February, 2023
How To Watch: BT Sport 1HD, Early prelims 11pm, prelims 1am, main card 3am (UK time)
Tale Of The Tape:
Makhachev
Place Of Birth: Makhachkala, Russia
Age: 31
Record: 23-1
Height: 5’10’’
Reach: 70”
Stance: Southpaw
Last Fight: Makhachev beat Charles Oliveira by submission to capture the vacant UFC lightweight championship.
@MakhachevMMA and @AlexVolkanovski meet SATURDAY at #UFC284!
Volkanovski
Place Of Birth: Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Age: 34
Alias: The Great
Record: 25-1
Height: 5’6’’
Reach: 71”
Stance: Orthodox
Last Fight: ‘The Great’ outpointed Max Holloway to retain the UFC featherweight championship
Full card
Main card
Islam Makhachev (C) vs Alexander Volkanovski (lightweight title)
Yair Rodriguez vs Josh Emmett (interim featherweight title)
Jack Della Maddalena vs Randy Brown (welterweight)
Justin Tafa vs Parker Porter (heavyweight)
Jimmy Crute vs Alonzo Menifield (light-heavyweight)
Prelims
Tyson Pedro vs Modestas Bukauskas (light-heavyweight)
Josh Culibao vs Melsik Baghdasaryan (featherweight)
Shannon Ross vs Kleydson Rodrigues (flyweight)
Jack Jenkins vs Don Shainis (featherweight)
Jamie Mullarkey vs Francisco Prado (lightweight)
Early prelims
Jack Jenkins vs Don Shainis (featherweight)
Loma Lookboonmee vs Elise Reed (women’s strawweight)
Shane Young vs Blake Bilder (featherweight)
Zubaira Tukhugov vs Elves Brenner (lightweight)
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
