UFC 284: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski – Take a look at the results and also the ones who received the bonus
Returning to Australia for the first time since UFC 243 in Melbourne, which set a new UFC attendance record, Saturday’s highly anticipated UFC 284 pay-per-view at RAC Arena in Perth blew away everyone’s expectations.
The crowd was rocking from the opening bell, and the competitors delivered dynamic efforts throughout the competition that culminated in two exciting final bouts. What went down in the Octagon at UFC 284 is detailed below.
Islam Makhachev took a risk and came through, defending his lightweight championship for the first time by defeating Alexander Volkanovski, the undisputed pound-for-pound ruler and champion of the featherweight division, in Perth, Australia.
The Russian rising star demonstrated his footwork prowess throughout the first three rounds, spending much of the first 15 minutes dealing with Volkanovski and coming out on top. Even though “Alexander the Great” had his fair share of moments and demonstrated remarkable resistance to Makhachev’s takedown attempts, the lightweight champion was ultimately too much for him to handle.
Makhachev perfectly timed a level change in the fourth, which allowed him to crawl onto Volkanovski’s back and remain there for the duration of the scene. Volkanovski gave it his all in the deciding round, charging at Makhachev and wounding him with a left hand late to finish on top, much to the pleasure of the sellout audience in Perth.
Makhachev won via unanimous decision and successfully retained his lightweight title, but Volkanovski suffered no losses despite going the distance with the champion for 25 minutes. This was a fantastic battle between two exceptional fighters, and it will be fascinating to watch them dominate their weight classes in the future.
After making his promotional debut in 2008 and being widely expected to win a championship for years, Yair Rodriguez saved his best performance for the biggest occasion of his career.
The 30-year-old Mexican superstar came out swinging in the first round, pummeling the Team Alpha Male representative Josh Emmett with clean, diverse blows and vicious body kicks. Despite being knocked down by a power shot from Emmett late in the first, Rodriguez defended himself admirably and eventually got back up.
In the early going of the second, he injured Emmett by picking his areas and hammering home heavy strikes, culminating in a flying knee that knocked the vaseline off of Emmett’s head. But the explosive athlete from Chihuahua utilised it to set up and lock in a triangle choke on Emmett, causing the American challenger to tap.
Rodriguez put on a stunning display, delivering a sleek, punishing, a remarkable effort. He has anticipated for quite some time to reach this level of competition. The next step for Rodriguez depends on what happens in the main event, so this is an excellent triumph.
Jack Della Maddalena, a local favourite, stopped Randy Brown in the first round for the fourth time in a row since joining the UFC. After dropping Brown with a right hand along the fence, Della Maddalena followed Brown to the mat and finished the fight with a rear-naked choke.
UFC 284 results
- Islam Makhachev defeats Alexander Volkanovski by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
- Yair Rodriguez defeats Josh Emmett by submission (triangle choke) at 4:19 of Round 2
- Jack Della Maddalena defeats Randy Brown by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:13 of Round 1
- Justin Tafa defeats Parker Porter by KO (left hand) at 1:06 of Round 1
- Jimmy Crute and Alonzo Menifield battle to a majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
- Joshua Culibao defeats Melsik Baghdasaryan by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:02 of Round 2
- Kleydson Rodrigues defeats Shannon Ross by TKO (strikes) at 0:59 of Round 1
- Jamie Mullarkey defeats Francisco Prado by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Jack Jenkins defeats Don Shainis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Loma Lookboonmee defeats Elise Reed by submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:44 of Round 2
- Blake Bilder defeats Shane Young by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Elves Brenner defeats Zubaira Tukhugov by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
UFC 284 bonus winners
After Saturday’s programme, the UFC awarded four post-fight bonuses, one of which went to a rising local favourite. Four combatants shared an additional $50,000 following UFC 284 in Perth, Australia. Below are the honoured recipients.
Fight of the Night: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Performance of the Night: Yair Rodriguez
Performance of the Night: Jack Della Maddalena
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