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Main Event By The Numbers | UFC 284: Makhachev vs Volkanovski
A Dive Into The Numbers That Led Two Champs To Meet At UFC 284: Makhachev vs Volkanovski
UFC 284 has fireworks written all over it as newly crowned lightweight champion Islam Makhachev aims to successfully defend his title against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. The Australian looks to join the exclusive list of double champs when he faces Makhachev on February 11 (February 12 local time) in Perth.
Before the action gets underway, let’s take a look at some of the numbers behind the success of the champions.
Islam Makhachev
11 Submission Wins
The lightweight champion earned UFC gold for the first time last October at UFC 280. He added another submission to his list after submitting former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in the second round. This was no easy task, as Oliveira is the record holder for the most submissions all-time in the UFC with 16. It just solidified how dominant Makhachev can be on the ground, not to mention that he has never been submitted before in his career.
Islam Makhachev | 2022 Résumé
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Islam Makhachev | 2022 Résumé
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Six of his 11 submission wins have come inside the UFC Octagon. He is tied for fifth in the lightweight division, sitting behind Oliveira, Jim Miller, Joe Lauzon, and Nate Diaz. Makhachev’s close friend, Khabib Nurmagomedov, also sits on the submission wins list with five in his UFC career.
9 First-Round Finishes
Since beginning his professional career back in 2010, Makhachev has secured nine of his 23 wins in the first round. Prior to his bout against Oliveira, the 31-year-old earned a first-round submission over Dan Hooker, followed by a first-round TKO over Bobby Green.
11-Fight Win Streak
Both Makhachev and Volkanovski step into this weekend’s super fight on win streaks, meaning only one will remain. Since making his UFC debut on May 23, 2015, Makhachev has only has one loss, which came against Adriano Martins. He has fired off eleven straight since then, to own the third longest win streak in lightweight division history.
Alexander Volkanovski
5 Title Fight Wins
Volkanovski first’s shot at UFC gold came against former featherweight champion Max Holloway at UFC 249 in 2019. That night, he would defeat Holloway by unanimous decision, and the two would run it back two more times after that. Since winning the belt against Holloway, “The Great” has had four successful title defenses, two against Holloway, one against Brian Ortega and one against “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung.
Volkanovski’s five title fight wins put him tied for second in the division with Holloway for most title fight wins. The first? Future Hall of Famer José Aldo.
12 wins by knockout
It’s no secret that Volkanovski possesses power in his hands. His last two fights against Holloway and “The Korean Zombie” have shown that even though five of his last six victories have been by decision, they’ve been fights that have shown the 34-year-old’s evolution as a fighter. The featherweight champ has earned twelve of his 25 wins by knockout.
Makhachev has only been knocked out once in his career, his lone loss, so it will be interesting to see how the fight will develop if the fight stays on the feet.
22-Fight Win Streak
Volkanovski’s overall win streak sits at 22. He has gone 12-0 inside the Octagon since he made his UFC debut on November 26, 2016, in Melbourne, Australia. His win streak is tied for the second-longest in the division at 12, alongside Arnold Allen. Holloway once held a 13-fight win streak, which is the longest at 145 pounds.
Just like Makhachev, Volkanovski has only suffered one loss in his professional career, and it came against Corey Nelson in the Australian Fighting Championship promotion way back in 2013. One thing is for sure, someone’s win streak will end at UFC 284, but who will it be?
UFC 284: Makhachev vs Volkanovski took place live from RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia on February 11, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive all the action on UFC Fight Pass!
