Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski

Islam Makhachev is the current lightweight champion in the UFC while Australian athlete Alexander Volkanovski is a former champion in the featherweight division at the promotion. Islam faced Volkanovski for the first time at UFC 284 in 2023 after being crowned the champion, defeating Charles Oliviera in the title shot match. Volkanovski usually fights in the featherweight category but to challenge him, he leveled up to the lightweight division.

Islam defeated Vokanovski via unanimous decision in their first face-off after five rounds in Perth. This victory earned him the Fight of the Night award. 

Islam was scheduled to face Charles Oliviera for his second title defense but some injuries forced the Brazilian out of the contest. Hence Alexander Volkanovski replaced Oliviera for the battle and this time, Islam knocked him out with a head kick in the first round. This was totally unexpected from the fans’ point of view as in the first bout, the Australian fighter put up a tough fight for the Russian.