As champion on UFC 284, Islam Makhachev entered into one of the most heated environments in UFC history on Saturday.
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At the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, Islam Makhachev and Yair Rodriguez left the UFC 284 event with gold around their waists. The final combatant of the evening to raise his hand was Makhachev. With a much tougher struggle than anticipated, he defeated Alexander Volkanovski by unanimous decision to keep his lightweight title.
Volkanovski’s transition to lightweight was a difficult one. While Makhachev, who weighs 145 pounds, was giving up a lot of bulk, the 145-pounder made it tough for the judges by staying in the pocket with the champion, landing some big leather, and negating a lot of Makhachev’s typically overpowering grappling.
He ultimately fell just short of winning two divisions, but he left the door open for a future comeback to lightweight. For the time being, he’ll have to focus on Rodriguez. In order to defeat Josh Emmett, he made a great effort to win the interim featherweight title.
Main Card
Islam Makhachev def. Alexander Volkanovski via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
Yair Rodriguez def. Josh Emmett via submission (triangle choke) (Round 2, 4:19)
Jack Della Maddalena def. Randy Brown via sub (rear-naked choke) (Round 1, 2:13)
Justin Tafa def. Parker Porter via first-round KO (1:06)
Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield scored a majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
Prelims
Modestas Bukauskas def. Tyson Pedro via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Joshua Culibao def. Melsik Baghdasaryan via submission (rear-naked choke) (Round 2, 2:02)
Kleydson Rodrigues def. Shannon Ross via first-round TKO (0:59)
Jamie Mullarkey def. Francisco Prado via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Jack Jenkins def. Don Shainis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Loma Lookboonmee def. Elise Reed via submission (rear-naked choke) (Round 2, 0:44)
Blake Bilder def. Shane Young via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Elves Brenner def. Zubaira Tukhugov via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
It was as hotly contested as you could imagine when the two finest fighters in the world, Islam Makhachev, and Alexander Volkanovski, faced off. In the end, Makhachev defeated Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 284 by scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 to maintain his long winning run and keep the lightweight championship.
On the scorecards of judges Ben Cartlidge and David Lethaby, Volkanovski, the current featherweight champion of the UFC who stepped up a category to face Makhachev, prevailed in rounds three and five. However, it was insufficient, as Makhachev was declared the winner of rounds 1, 2, and 4 by all three judges, with Derek Cleary also awarding Makhachev a victory in round 3.
Regardless of the outcome, each round was close, and few would contest that Volkanovski presented Makhachev with his most challenging challenge since Makhachev’s lone defeat against Adriano Martins in 2015.
Winner: Islam Makhachev
Yair Rodriguez has always had championship-level potential in flashes. He put it all together on Saturday night in Perth. In the opening round, the 30-year-old kicked Josh Emmett’s torso and followed up with punches. The two featherweights put on a thrilling first round, with Emmett countering Rodriguez’s aggressiveness and earning a takedown in the second half.
But it didn’t stop Rodriguez. In the first round, he returned to attacking aggressively. He struck Emmett on the feet and ultimately forced his opponent to return to his ground game. This time, he was ready with a well-executed triangle choke that earned him the win and the interim crown.
Winner: Yair Rodriguez
Jack Della Maddalena’s MMA career began with two defeats, but his UFC career has been filled with first-round finishes Della Maddalena scored his fourth first-round knockout in as many fights under the promotion’s banner. Randy Brown was a step up in competitiveness, although you wouldn’t know it by watching the bout.
The Australian got right to work with his boxing, and when his fists landed, Brown was in big danger. He moved to the mat, and Della Maddalena demonstrated her ability to end a battle in front of an audience by locking on a choke and forcing the tap.
Winner: Jack Della Maddalena
Justin Tafa didn’t waste any time in showcasing his prowess. It just took one punch for him to knock out Parker Porter in the lone heavyweight contest on the main night. Porter was all too eager to engage Tafa in a brawl, but he quickly realized it wasn’t the greatest strategy. He got into striking range with a looping punch but was hit with a sharp left hook from Tafa that knocked out his lights.
Winner: Justin Tafa
To open off the main show, Jimmy Crute and Alonzo Menifield presented an action-packed three-round bout with no satisfactory ending. The two battled to a majority draw, with two judges scoring the fight 28-28 for Crute and one judge rating it 29-27 for Crute.
Throughout the battle, Crute and Menfield attacked each other with malicious intent. Crute was at his finest when he could wrestle, score takedowns, and threaten with submissions. Menifield’s blows came dangerously near to ending the bout.
Winner: Draw
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