UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev showed off his full arsenal to end his rivalry with Alexander Volkanovski.
Islam Makhachev, a top protege of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, rose to championship prominence due to his elite wrestling base and ferocious style. But in a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294, Makhachev showed off elite striking to round out his full arsenal.
Makhachev and Volkanovski competed in a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate at UFC 284, with Makhachev walking away with a decision victory. It still stands as arguably the toughest test of Makhachev’s career in a fight that some believe Volkanovski deserved the nod on the judges’ scorecards.
The rematch, however, wasn’t competitive.
Islam Makhachev proved to be more than a wrestler in a wild KO win at UFC 294
After Charles Oliveira suffered a nasty cut just days before UFC 294, the UFC matchmakers scrambled to find a short-notice replacement to face Makhachev. Volkanovski, who had defeated Yair Rodriguez to defend the UFC featherweight belt just months earlier at UFC 290, cut a large bulk of weight to fill in against Makhachev and run back their instant classic matchup.
After taking on the short-notice challenge, some believed Volkanovski could shock the world and dethrone Makhachev on days notice. But Makhachev put an emphatic end to his rivalry with Volkanovski with a ‘Knockout of the Year’ candidate.
Volkanovski teased a fast start at UFC 294, and had some positive moments in the first two minutes of the fight. He utilized leg kicks and speedy movement to evade Makhachev’s advances.
But it didn’t take long for Makhachev to find his footing, and when he did, fireworks ensued. Makhachev landed a massive head kick, followed up by vicious ground-and-pound, to retain the lightweight championship.
Left no doubt in the rematch 💥@MakhachevMMA is your final nominee for #UFCHonors Fan Choice Knockout of the Year!
[ Voting starts Dec. 26th | B2YB @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/7bXLn0tuYW
— UFC (@ufc) December 8, 2023
Islam Makhachev is on a collision course with a current UFC titleholder
Two years later, Makhachev is the UFC’s pound-for-pound king and is in the midst of one of the most dominant title reigns in mixed martial arts history. For his next UFC lightweight title defense, Makhachev could potentially face UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria in a massive superfight.
Topuria will make the full-time move to lightweight as he vacates the title ahead of UFC 314. Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will square off for the vacant belt in the UFC 314 main event, marking the sudden end of Topuria’s title reign.
Makhachev and Topuria could potentially face off in the next lightweight title fight, despite some hesitance from Makhachev’s team. UFC CEO Dana White has remained quiet on Topuria’s next fight, leading many to speculate that the belt will likely be on the line for his lightweight return.
Makhachev defeated Renato Moicano in his most recent lightweight title defense at UFC 311. He was originally supposed to face Arman Tsarukyan, before Tsarukyan withdrew on hours’ notice due to injury.
Makhachev’s next title defense could be announced in the coming weeks, and regardless of his opponent, the pound-for-pound king will look to defend the throne.
