What mattered most at UFC 284 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia? Here are a few post-fight musings …
5. Loma Lookboonmee levels up
Perhaps the most surprising outcome of the UFC 284 prelims came in the strawweight fight between Loma Lookboonmee and Elise Reed.
Lookboonmee (8-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is a noted Thai striker, and had never finished a fight in the UFC. Not only did she put Reed away inside the distance, but she did it with a submission, which was a +1400 betting prop.
It was a huge moment from Lookboonmee to prove to her opponents that she offers more than just dangerous striking. Going forward, everyone is going to be forced to be weary of just more than just the striking dimension, and that’s going to do wonders for her going forward.
4. Jack Della Maddalena continues to roll
Jack Della Maddalena continued the hot start to his UFC tenure when he picked up yet another first-round finish, this time against Randy Brown in their featured welterweight bout.
After knocking out his first three opponents inside the opening round, Maddalena (14-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) proved he’s got more than just hands when he submitted Brown inside the first frame. Of course, it was indeed the power in his punches that floored Brown and set up the rear-naked choke, but the fact Maddalena had the wherewithal to seamlessly switch to the choke instead of punching goes to show he’s got some well-rounded instincts.
The welterweight division is one of the deepest in the sport, and Maddalena has a ton of hard fights ahead if he wants to climb to the very top. However, what he’s done so far is nothing short of impressive, and a very promising sign for his potential.
His post-fight callout of Vicente Luque was quite perfect, and I’d love to see it happen. Luque has shared the octagon with some of the best 170-pound fighters the UFC has to offer, and if Maddalena could pass that test – and especially with another early finish – we can’t put a cap on what he’s capable of in this division.
3. Yair Rodriguez shines to claim interim gold
Yair Rodriguez delivered one of the most complete performances of his career against Josh Emmett to claim the interim featherweight title, and it now seems he’s ready to fulfill the potential people have seen in him since early in his UFC career.
It’s not controversial to say Rodriguez’s (15-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) path in the UFC has been rocky. He’s dealt with injuries, spats with the UFC brass and more as he’s tried to navigate his way to the top. And though he’s still not quite there with the interim belt rather than the undisputed one, he’s finally reached the level his supporters hope to see him at.
Not only did Rodriguez show off his dynamic striking game to bloody Emmett on the feet, but he finished the job with a triangle choke for his first submission result in the octagon. He’s a multi-layered threat in that cage, and every single one of his fights is a must-watch.
He won’t be able to complete a significant legacy without unifying those titles, though, and making that happen will be far from easy. He’s got an all-time great fighter waiting for him, but if he can get the job done, we’ll have to reassess the entire spectrum of Rodriguez’s career.
2. Alexander Volkanovski deserves praise in defeat
Before we get to the praise for Islam Makhachev, for which there is plenty, we must take some time to give a nod of respect to Alexander Volkanovski and his commendable pursuit of greatness by moving up in weight to challenge for a second belt.
With a dominant reign in the featherweight division ongoing, Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) could’ve easily stayed in his lane and stacked up the title defenses for a good while. Instead, he decided to challenge himself and try to become just the fifth simultaneous two-division champion in company history.
He fell short in a unanimous decision loss, but he has zero to be ashamed of. Volkanovski pushed Makhachev harder and further than anyone else has inside the octagon, and he was right on the cusp of getting it done. He had some brilliant moments and had Makhachev in serious trouble in the final round, but he wasn’t able to secure the win.
The result is devastating in the sense that Volkanovski came just shy of his goal, and saw his remarkable 22-fight winning streak brought to an end for his first defeat since May 2013. Despite that, you’d be hard pressed to find a single person with any credibility attached to their name giving Volkanovski much flack for the loss.
In fact, Volkanovski’s stock seemed to rise with his performance. He showed he’s very much capable of competing with the champion from a weight class above, and his No. 1 pound-for-pound ranking coming into the fight was more than justified.
Volkanovski dared to be great when he could’ve been more risk-averse and protected his position, and that’s a mindset many people should take inspiration from. There’s no reward without risk, and although he might not have got the reward this time, the risk was still worth it. He’s still a champion, and his meeting with Rodriguez will be a big-time fight, and certainly a fascinating one.
1. Islam Makhachev deserved the win and the No. 1 spot
Listen, no one would’ve relished Volkanovski getting the decision nod in the main event more than me. I was the only person on the MMA Junkie staff to go with “The Great” to win, so there would’ve been some nice bragging rights had it happened.
But even with that slight bias in trying to look smart, I can’t come away from watching that fight live from cageside and claim Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) lost, or Volkanovski was robbed. Yes, Volkanovski’s strong close to the fight where he landed a knockdown and big ground-and-pound was certainly the most definitive moment of the contest, but that got him the round, not the entire fight.
From my view, Makhachev won Round 1, Round 2 and Round 4 and was the rightful victor. He showed some very solid striking, and a level of defensive and offensive grappling that few in the sport possess. He’s an absolute beast, and if you don’t think this five-round battle where he was tested to his very limit is going to make him better going forward, you’re kidding yourself.
In all honesty, this might’ve been the best chance for him to lose anytime soon. I’m hard pressed to pick a lightweight contender, be it Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Beneil Dariush or anyone else, who is going to give Makhachev a harder fight than Volkanovski did, and that’s a pretty scary sign.
Makhachev boldly claimed at the post-fight press conference that he’s the “best fighter in the world,” and at least for today, I’m inclined to agree. He deserves that No. 1 pound-for-pound spot, and someone is going to need the performance a lifetime to take it away from him.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.
