Alexander Volkanovski To Fight Islam Makhachev At UFC 284
The UFC just announced a historic fight. UFC featherweight champion and the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Alexander Volkanovski, will challenge for the UFC lightweight championship against Islam Makhachev at UFC 284.
The bout will take place on Feb. 11, 2023, in Perth, Australia at RAC Arena. This will give Volkanovski home field advantage as he was born in Australia and still trains there.
This bout was not a secret by any means. After Islam Makhachev defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 it was clear Volkanovski would be the next lightweight title challenger. The fact that he was the main event backup assisted in cementing his position as the next lightweight title challenger as well.
Volkanovaski’s tremendous work in the featherweight division earned him this lightweight title bout. He has a perfect 12-0 UFC record. Five of those wins have come in championship bouts. His resume currently includes three wins over Max Holloway and wins over Chan Sung Jung, Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo, and more. A win over Islam Makhachev would certainly add to that resume.
There is no question that Volkanovski deserves the opportunity to chase double-champion status. If he is successful he will become the fifth simultaneous double champion in UFC history. This would add his name to a list of legends. The others to complete this feat are Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo, and Amanda Nunes.
Volkanovski will have his hands full against Islam Makhachev though. At UFC 280, Makhachev proved to be miles ahead of the rest of the lightweight division as he dominated Charles Oliveria before landing a second-round submission. That extended Makhachev’s win streak to 11. In total, he has gone 23-1 in his career and 12-1 in the UFC.
As Volkanovski currently sits at No. 1 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings, the winner of this bout will likely determine who holds that title.
