Islam Makhachev successfully defended his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight world title on Sunday in Perth, Australia, by outlasting Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski on the feet and on the ground to win by unanimous decision.
With his victory, Makhachev ended Alexander Volkanovski’s UFC 12-fight winning streak and continued his own. As a result, the Russian champion now owns the UFC record for the longest active winning streak.
The Russian champion surprised everyone once again with his stand-up display, whereas “The Great” backed up almost every word he uttered during the pre-fight buildup by being almost impossible to keep down.
Makhachev ultimately raised his hand via unanimous decision, but the fight was much closer than the scorecards suggested in the eyes of many. With the victory, Islam Makhachev earned his first title defense.
The UFC returning to Australia after more than four years with UFC 284 was a historic event. In the headlining act, Islam Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) successfully defended his lightweight title for the first time. He earned a unanimous decision win over featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) to extend his winning ways inside the octagon. Â Â
