Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski will battle for the world lightweight championship when they meet in the main event of UFC 284 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on the morning of Sunday.
Makhachev (23-1) became the lightweight champion when he submitted Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 in October last year – and immediately called out featherweight champion Volkanovski (25-1) for a ‘best pound for pound’ battle.
The Australian (who has racked up 22 consecutive victories, including four successful defences of his lightweight crown) was in the crowd in Abu Dhabi for the event and made his way to the Octagon to personally accept Makhachev’s challenge.
Volkanovski is looking to become the fourth man to be champion in two divisions simultaneously and fifth fighter overall (after Conor McGregor at UFC 205, Daniel Cormier at UFC 226, Amanda Nunes at UFC 232 and UFC 277, and Henry Cejudo at UFC 238), as well as the eighth person overall to win a title in different divisions.
The 34-year-old, who will be fighting in front of a home crowd, is also looking forward to the challenge of tackling a Dagestani wrestling expert, who has followed in the footsteps of the unbeaten and retired former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“It’s the Dagestani wrestling, no one can figure this out, they’re on a roll and all that. Khabib’s there. Islam, what he’s been doing his last few fights. All that,” said ‘The Great’.
“I was chasing the champ-champ, that’s what motivated me before I knew who I was fighting. As soon as Islam won and the people talked, something was just like, bang, that’s all that I cared about is taking out Islam.”
Volkanovski added, “Me accomplishing this goal – not only the champ-champ, it’s obviously going to be incredible, having two belts – but not just that. It’s, while doing that, taking out someone like Islam.
“Especially being a featherweight going to move up to lightweight, then fighting not only any lightweight, you’re going to Dagestani-wrestling Islam who’s known to just walk and control and throw around all these lightweights. ‘How’s Alex going to deal with that?’
“This just makes when I get my hand raised, it just makes it so much bigger. So that’s what’s motivating me right now, the fight itself. It’s going to be extra special getting both belts on them shoulders, but [also] who I’m taking out in the process.”
The remainder of the main card features an interim featherweight championship match between Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett; Jack Della Maddalena v Randy Brown in the welterweight division; a heavyweight battle between Justin Tafa and Parker Porter; and a light heavyweight opener between Jimmy Crute and Alonzo Menifield.
UFC 284 – Main card
- Main event: Lightweight championship: Islam Makhachev v Alexander Volkanovski
- Interim featherweight championship: Yair Rodriguez v Josh Emmett
- Welterweight: Jack Della Maddalena v Randy Brown
- Heavyweight: Justin Tafa v Parker Porter
- Light heavyweight: Jimmy Crute v Alonzo Menifield
