Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski: Which UFC 284 star has the better winning streak?
A look at the UFC careers of Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev ahead of the super-fight at UFC 284.
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The UFC has been on a streak of lining up exciting fights in 2023 and the upcoming UFC 284 event will determine the future of the lightweight division. Alexander Volkanovski vs Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title will take place on February 12 in Perth, Australia.
The excitement for this upcoming mega-fight has been derived from the accolades of the fighters involved. On one hand, Alexander Volkanovski is the UFC featherweight champion with a 12-fight win streak, 4 of which are successful title defenses. On the other hand, Islam Makhachev is the UFC lightweight champion with an 11-fight win streak.
At UFC 280, after Islam Makhachev got his hands on the UFC gold after defeating Charles Oliveira, the Dagestani fighter challenged Volkanovski to become the pound-for-pound #1 fighter in the UFC. Alexander Volkanovski is also aiming to get his hands on a second-world title and double-champion status.
Since joining the UFC roster in 2016, Alexander Volkanovski has been on an incredible championship run. After entering the top 10 featherweight ranking in the UFC, Volkanovski made his way up to title contention. The Australian champion ran through the entire featherweight division after defeating top featherweights like Darren Elkins, Jeremy Kennedy, Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Max Holloway (x3), Brian Ortega, and Korean Zombie.
While Volkanovski’s UFC resume consists of some of the most notable names in the promotion, Makhachev’s resume has only become stronger recently. After making his debut in 2015, the Dagestani fighter got his first significant win in 2017 over Nik Lentz. Since then, Makhachev has scored victories over Gleison Tibau, Arman Tsarukyan, Dan Hooker, Thiago Moises, and Drew Dober till 2021.
After Charles Oliveira defended his title successfully against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, Makhachev was given the shot at the title at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. At the time, Oliveira was #2 in the UFC P4P rankings. However, with accolades in Sambo wrestling and a bigger platform to prove, Makhachev submitted Oliveira to secure the UFC lightweight title.
Both Volkanovski and Makhachev have had the best possible UFC run they could create out of the opportunities they were given. But the UFC 284 event will determine the future of both fighters. With a championship already on hand, Volkanovski’s motivation would be to secure a second title that would solidify his legacy alongside some of the legends like Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Henry Cejudo, George St Pierre, and Demetrious Johnson.
For Islam Makhachev, UFC 284 will be his first title defense since UFC 280 and a win over Volkanovski would solidify his claims over the #1 position in the P4P UFC ranking. The legacy of both fighters will be on the line with Volkanovski placed in the betting odds as the underdog and Makhachev as the favorite.
Will Alexander Volkanovski prove that Dagestani fighters are beatable or will the fight unfold just like any other fight on Islam Makhachev’s resume?
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Debabrata Samal
(86 Articles Published)