Tag: UFC 284

Video: How much of a threat is Yair Rodriguez to UFC champ Alexander Volkanovski?

Yair Rodriguez looked impressive winning the UFC interim featherweight title, but can he give Alexander Volkanovski a run for his money?

[autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] is officially a UFC champion – even if it is of the interim variety – after he submitted Josh Emmett this past Saturday at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia.

Rodriguez looked impressive for 9 minutes before he locked in a triangle choke to make Emmett tap out late in the second round. The Mexican star’s victory should set up a likely title-unification bout with featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who came up short in his bid for champ-champ status by dropping a unanimous decision to lightweight champ Islam Makhachev.

While Rodriguez has endured his ups and downs during his UFC tenure, his performance at UFC 284 was a statement. And it has us wondering: How much of a threat is he to Volkanovski?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Dan Tom answered that with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

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Check out their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.

Beneil Dariush: Alexander Volkanovski ‘confirmed my beliefs’ on Islam Makhachev’s shortcomings

Beneil Dariush reacts to Islam Makhachev’s win over Alexander Volkanovski.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] liked what he saw on Saturday night, but perhaps not in the way most did.

Fight fans got spoiled at with UFC 284, as [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] collided with [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] in a champion vs. champion superfight that left fans wanting to see more. Volkanovski, who moved up to 155 pounds in hopes of becoming a two-division UFC champion, gave Makhachev his toughest battle, taking him to a decision, which Makhachev won.

Despite the victory, it was a closely contested bout that left many thinking Makhachev lost. Dariush (22-4-1 MMA, 16-4-1 UFC), who’s hoping to fight for the UFC lightweight title, very much enjoyed some of the things that were brought to light.

“You start to see holes in their games that might not even be there,” Dariush told MMA Junkie Radio. “You’re only seeing these holes because these inhuman men are colliding, these great fighters colliding, so you start to see these things.

“I thought it was a great fight from both perspectives. Volkanovski just confirmed my beliefs because I didn’t really have any tape on him besides the Tsarukyan fight, but Volkanovski was able to confirm my beliefs on what I thought his game was lacking and what exactly I could take advantage of.”

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But it went both ways. Although Dariush is not planning to drop to featherweight and challenge for a belt there, he also picked up on some things Volksnovski was doing.

“What did surprise me, and what I saw, was that Volkanovski carried his chin a lot higher than what I expected,” Dariush said. “He carried his chin high when he finished a lot of these combos. So I saw some new things in Volkanovski’s game that I didn’t see in other fights. So that’s what I saw.”

The Makhachev vs. Volkanovski bout was also important from the pound-for-pound standpoint. It was No. 2 facing No. 1 on the UFC’s official rankings.

Dariush believes he’s actually No. 1, but just hasn’t had the chance to prove it.

“I thought they were both great,” Dariush said. “An unstoppable force meets an unmovable object, it felt like that. These are very good fighters. Some might say No. 1 and No. 2. The only reason I don’t say that because I believe I’m the best in the world. So they’re some of the best fighters coming at each other.”

Daniel Cormier: Alexander Volkanovski still No. 1 pound-for-pound because style translates between divisions

Daniel Cormier can understand why Alexander Volkanovski is still No. 1 pound-for-pound despite losing at UFC 284.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] can understand why [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is still the No. 1 pound-for-pound after UFC 284.

Featherweight champion Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to lightweight champ [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) in this past Saturday’s UFC 284 headliner in Perth, Australia.

Although Volkanovski lost, he kept his top spot in the UFC’s official pound-for-pound rankings. Cormier didn’t say whether or not he agrees but justified it based on Volkanovski proving that he can hang with Makhachev.

“I also said on ‘SportsCenter’ after the fight, I said, ‘Hey, there’s a world in which, at the end of this, Volkanovski could still be the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world,'” Cormier said on his ESPN show “DC & RC” with Ryan Clark.

“Because pound-for-pound says, ‘Does your fighting style translate between weight classes?’ It showed on Saturday that his (Volkanovski’s) fighting style does translate between weight classes. The new rankings come out and guess who’s still No. 1 pound-for-pound? Alexander Volkanovski even though he lost.”

Volkanovski was credited for surpassing expectations when he fended off Makhachev’s grappling for the most part, but Cormier insists there wasn’t that much of a size difference.

“In theory, he’s 10 pounds heavier, starting essentially, but only for – he’s 10 pounds heavier only for outside of fight camp or only on weigh-in day,” Cormier said. “Because it’s not like Islam Makhachev weighed more than Alexander Volkanovski on fight night. I wish we had the numbers on the scale because they only weigh 155 for that short period of time that they step on that scale. Islam can’t get back to his max number in 24 hours, neither can Volkanovski. So you’ve got to imagine they were pretty similar on fight night.”

He continued, “Islam was probably gonna be about 175 max. That’s about 20 pounds. Volkanovski looked huge in there, bro. He’s so thick.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.

Islam Makhachev on Alexander Volkanovski staying UFC’s pound-for-pound No. 1: ‘I never expected justice’

“I never expected justice and still don’t,” Islam Makhachev said after the UFC rankings didn’t place him in the pound-for-pound No. 1 spot.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] believes he’s been snubbed out of the top spot in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.

Lightweight champion Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) held the No. 2 spot heading into his title defense against featherweight champ and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) this past Saturday at UFC 284. Despite beating Volkanovski, he remains No. 2 in this week’s rankings update.

Makhachev’s main goal going into the fight was to become the best pound-for-pound fighter, so when the UFC’s rankings remained the same, he thought it was unfair.

“I never expected justice and still don’t,” Makhachev said in a clip he shared to his Instagram stories, via Igor Kakdela. “Because we have always seen the attitude towards us in the example of our other fighters, (Magomed) Ankalaev, Petr Yan. The main thing is I flew 13,000 kilometers, defeated their champion there. Referee raised my hand up. With my head up, confident, with a belt, I came home.”

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Volkanovski received high praise for testing Makhachev both on the feet and on the ground, but he wound up losing a unanimous decision. Volkanovski thought he won the fight and wants to run things back.

In the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie pound-for-pound rankings, which account for fighters across the entire sport, Volkanovski remained No.1, while Makhachev climbed four spots from No. 9 to No. 5.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Feb. 14: Islam Makhachev’s new pound-for-pound spot

UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev defeated Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284, causing movement in the men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

UFC 284 proved to be a memorable event in Perth, Australia, with the fans creating an electric atmosphere. In addition, the top two fights on the bill created some major changes in this week’s rankings update.

No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] dared to be great by challenging for his second UFC title. Although he came up short on the judges’ scorecards, many believe his stock didn’t take a hit.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], who successfully defended his lightweight title against the featherweight champ Volkanovski, did see a jump in the P4P rankings this week. Entering at No. 9, Makhachev rises up to No. 5, while Volkanovski stays put despite the loss.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] claimed the interim featherweight title by defeating Josh Emmett. “El Pantera” flew to Australia at No. 7 in the division, and returns home as No. 4 with the interim title around his waist.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

Video: Is Islam Makhachev the new pound-for-pound king over Alexander Volkanovski?

With his win over pound-for-pound No. 1 Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284, is Islam Makhachev the new best fighter in the world?

UFC 284 featured a rare moment in MMA history this past Saturday in Perth, Australia.

In the main event, the man considered the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on most lists moved up a division to challenge for a belt in a second weight class – against the man many had at No. 2.

The UFC’s internal rankings had featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. Right behind him at No. 2 on the UFC’s list was lightweight champ [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC). (MMA Junkie’s rankings going into the fight hat Volkanovski No. 1 and Makhachev at No. 9, though that includes all promotions and not just the UFC.)

Volkanovski fell short and Makhachev won a unanimous decision, but there are pockets of people who thought Volkanovski won the fight. But with the win, is Makhachev now the new No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world?

That’s the question we asked this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Dan Tom. They broke it down with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Check out their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

 

Javier Mendez thinks Makhachev vs. Volkanovski rematch happens, says fight met Khabib’s expectations

With both Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski on board, why shouldn’t Part 2 happen?

American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez sees [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] running things back down the line.

Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) retained his lightweight title with a decision win over featherweight champ Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) in this past Saturday’s UFC 284 headliner in Perth, Australia.

Although Makhachev was awarded a unanimous decision, Volkanovski surpassed all expectations by making it a close, back-and-forth battle. Volkanovski thinks he should have won, and Makhachev’s head coach wouldn’t be surprised if the pair rematched in the future.

“I definitely think the UFC is gonna want to see a rematch,” Mendez told Submission Radio. “So, I don’t see no reason why they wouldn’t do a rematch. I think it would be great. I think the fans would love it. I think Islam would be down for it also. And obviously Alex is. Because, I mean, come on now, he calls himself ‘Alexander the Great,’ and he lives up to that name. So, there’s a reason why he’s such a gentleman. He’s a competitor. He feels he won, but that’s the way you’re supposed to feel. And he’s got the right attitude, and yeah, I think at some point they probably will do a rematch.”

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Mendez admits he was surprised with how well Volkanovski performed, but Makhachev’s mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, expected a stern test.

“It was definitely a challenge,” Mendez said. “Alex, he actually became the challenge Khabib told me that he was gonna be. He felt that Alex was gonna be the toughest challenge for Islam and that Islam was gonna have to grind it out through the end. That’s what he felt. And I said, well, I didn’t know, because the way I looked at Islam, he looked fantastic in training. But Khabib had a feeling that it was gonna be a tougher fight than I anticipated myself. So, it was exactly what Khabib thought it was. It was a real tough fight. We got pound-for-pound for a reason, but we beat it from a guy that is the greatest of all time in the featherweight division and one of the greats of all time. He’s gonna be, no doubt.”

He continued, “It didn’t surprise me at the beginning. I was thinking, OK, he’s super strong. But then he got stronger as the rounds went on. So it’s like everybody talks about him, he doesn’t get tired, that guy. He was a very fresh guy going into the fifth round. At the beginning I thought maybe the grappling would slow him down. It didn’t slow him down.

“No, he just got better and better as the rounds went on.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.

Jack Jenkins says he broke Don Shainis’ leg in UFC 284 win: ‘Now that’s five’

Jack Jenkins is making a habit of breaking opponents’ legs with his kicks, and he said UFC 284 opponent Don Shainis is the latest victim.

PERTH, Australia – [autotag]Jack Jenkins[/autotag] beat Don Shainis with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 284 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

Take a look inside the fight with Jenkins, who won for the eighth straight time, including his contract-winning bout this past September on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Modestas Bukauskas details fairytale UFC return that culminated with Tyson Pedro win

Modestas Bukauskas was cut from the UFC with three straight losses, but won a title elsewhere, got asked back on short notice and delivered.

PERTH, Australia – [autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag] beat Tyson Pedro with a unanimous decision Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC 284 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

Take a look inside the fight with Bukauskas, who returned to the UFC on short notice after a two-fight stint away in which he won Cage Warriors’ light heavyweight title.

Tyson Pedro says he dealt with ‘extreme diarrhea and vomiting’ night before UFC 284 loss

“It was extreme diarrhea and vomiting for the whole night,” Tyson Pedro said, explaining his performance at UFC 284.

[autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag] says he had some health issues going into UFC 284.

Pedro (9-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Modestas Bukauskas (14-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in their light heavyweight bout this past Saturday at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, where he started to slow down after a back-and-forth first round.

That’s because the 31-year-old Aussie says he was dealing with gastroenteritis, commonly referred to as a stomach flu, the day before the fight, which compromised him while he competed. After receiving heavy criticism from fans online, Pedro decided to address what happened.

“The night before my fight, I contracted gastro,” Pedro said in a video posted to Instagram. “It was extreme diarrhea and vomiting for the whole night. When the UFC bus came, I was still on the toilet ground vomiting and if you want to confirm it, you can ask the USADA guy who had to sit there watching me sh*t nonstop while he was trying to take my piss.”

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The loss snapped Pedro’s two-fight winning streak.

The returning Bukauskas has now won three straight since being released by the UFC in late 2021 – including capturing the vacant Cage Warriors light heavyweight title.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.