At UFC 284, Islam Makhachev will challenge featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski for the title of best fighter pound-for-pound. Volkanovski, on the other hand, will have the chance to win two championships on February 12, 2023 at Perth, Australia’s RAC Arena.
Top-ranked featherweight contenders Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett will fight for the interim 145-pound title in the co-main event.
This Saturday, Islam Makhachev is the overwhelming favourite to successfully defend his title. He now has an 11-fight winning run and recently defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 with an outstanding performance.
Islam Makhachev is the favourite at -365 on DraftKings, the first authorised bookmaker and daily fantasy partner of the UFC, according to Fightodds. At +300, Volkanovski is the underdog.
As a result, a $100 wager on Makhachev would return around $127, whereas a $100 wager on Volkanovski would return about $400. (based on DraftKings odds). Josh Emmett (+140) has a better chance of winning than Yair Rodriguez (-165) in the co-main event.
Islam Makhachev is determined to showcase his striking skills against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284
Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev are two of the most well-rounded MMA fighters currently on the roster, as evidenced by the fact that they are ranked first and second in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings, respectively.
Although Volkanovski seemed to have the advantage in striking, Makhachev is the better wrestler. Analysts predict that the winner will be the one who can best force their game plan on the opposition.
At UFC 280 in October of last year, Makhachev defeated Charles Oliveira, who was also riding an 11-fight winning run, to win his most recent match.
The 34-year-old Volkanovski has won 22 straight fights, the most recent of which was at UFC 276 in July of last year when he defeated Max Holloway by unanimous decision.
In a recent interview with ESPN Deportes, Makhachev discussed the impending fight and said he intended to use Volkanovski to display his hitting prowess:
Sincerely, I want to kill him. Everyone claims that Islam is a wrestler or grappler. But I want to display my striking to others. He’s a short man, and I’m confident I can defeat him. This isn’t his territory. I’m from the division of (lightweight). This power is not the same. not the same This will be clear to him.
