Sorry Islam Makhachev – Alex Volkanovski should still be UFC pound-for-pound No 1
- Featherweight champion Volkanovski took the fight to lightweight king Makhachev up a division, and should have got the judges’ nod
- Sunday’s UFC 284 main event in Perth was one of those rare fights where the loser arguably gains more than the winner
Alexander Volkanovski may have lost the fight, but he won the pound-for-pound war with Islam Makhachev on Sunday.
The featherweight champ ultimately came up short in his bid to snatch a second title at lightweight in the UFC 284 main event with Makhachev taking a unanimous decision in Perth, Australia.
It was much to the displeasure of the crowd, who willed their man on for five rounds as he defied all logic to push the Russian wrestling stand-out harder and further than he had ever been, and may ever go again.
Chained by the mythical Dagestani handcuffs, Volkanovski broke free like he was Harry Houdini, again and again.
The 34-year-old defended Makhachev’s takedowns almost at will, and when his back was taken, he stayed calm and arguably did more damage, peppering Makhachev with punches and egging on the crowd as he smiled for the cameras.
“I would have liked to say this message with the win,” Volkanovski said in a post-fight interview in the cage. “Keep challenging yourself. I’m a better fighter because of this.”
