Welcome to news.com.au’s coverage of UFC 284 in Perth, where Alex Volkanovski will be out to make MMA history today.
The Aussie featherweight champion has stepped up a weight class to fight lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in the toughest challenge of his career.
Watch UFC 284: Makhachev v Volkanovski LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday 12 February from 2pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >
If he wins, Volkanovski will become just the eighth fighter ever to conquer two divisions and the fifth to hold two belts simultaneously.
The early action has been headlined by Loma Lookboonmee choking out Elise Reed in the second round and wins to Aussies Jamie Mullarkey, Jack Jenkins and Josh Culibao.
The preliminary card gets underway at 12pm AEDT and the main card is scheduled to start at 2pm AEDT.
Volkanovski and Makhachev are expected to enter the octagon for the main event around 4.15pm AEDT.
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Follow below for live updates (all times AEDT).
Rising Aussie continues hot streak
Jack Della Maddalena proved why he’s the next big thing in UFC with another first round win over Randy Brown.
Fighting in front of his home crowd, the local Perth boy made Brown faceplant with a right hand, before pouncing and hammering punching him with some ground and pound.
Maddalena finished the job with a textbook rear naked choke.
Another fight, another clinical win from the rising welterweight star.
Maddalena has now won all four of his UFC fights in the first round.
Now he has his sights on a fight with an opponent ranked in the top 15.
UFC commentator Jon Anik said: Jack Della Maddalena is the real deal!”
Michael Bisping said: “That was senational!”
Justin Tafa’s insane walkoff KO
Sheesh. Aussie heavyweight Justin Tafa only needed a minute to defeat Parker Porter with a walkoff knockout.
Tafa waited for an opening and landed a brutal left hook to Porter’s chin, finishing the job with a right hand that sent Porter crashing down, seeing stars with his blood splatterd across the canvas.
It’s Tafa’s third win from six UFC fights.
Jimmy Crute fights out draw
The main card is underway and Aussie Jimmy Crute has fought out a brutal draw against Alonzo Menifield.
Menifield hammered Crute with several blows in the first round but the Aussie showed he has a granite chin to stay standing and go the distance.
Crute secured several takedowns and Menifield was docked a point for grabbing the fence late in the fight.
Aussie pulls off insane comeback
Josh Culibao is the third Aussie fighter to win after pulling off an epic comeback win over Melsik Baghdasaryan.
Culibao copped a spinning heel from from Baghdasaryan that landed right in the spot no man wants to be hit.
He had the allowed five minutes to recover from the low blow, but Culibao was back in action in a couple of minutes.
Culibao claimed he had copped an illegal headbutt in the second round, but the referee didn’t stop the fight.
The Aussie took his chance, swooping to take Baghdasaryan to the canvas and pin in him a rear naked choke that soon had the Armenian tapping out.
Aussie makes statement on debut
Jack Jenkins has made a statement on his UFC debut, defeating Don Shainis via unanimous decision.
Jenkins hitted Shainis with some brutal leg kicks in the opening round, before Shainis manged to take Jenkins to the ground in the second round.
But the Aussie took Shainis down and nearly managed a rear-naked choke.
He was a whisker away from sending the American to another planet with a leg kick to the win, but secured the win with several takedowns.
Jamie Mullarkey also defeated Francisco Prado via unanimous decision and the Aussie called out English cult hero Paddy Pimblett after the win.
Volkanovski to break McGregor’s record
The eyes of Australia and the MMA world are on UFC 284, and it could see Alex Volkanovski break the record for the most pay-per-views for a UFC fight.
The blockbuster fight between Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev, the No. 1 and No. 2 pound-for-pound fighters in the world, has the PPV record on notice.
The longstanding all-time PPV buys record is from Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018, which had 2.4 million PPVs sold.
“I don’t think it’s ever happened – the number one and number two pound-for-pound (fighting each other),” UFC boss Dana White said.
“I mean it’s a monster fight and you know, just the gate alone out of there is going to be an MSG-type gate.
“And the pre-buys for pay-per-view … is beating all the fights of its type and it is probably going to break the record for pay-per-view in Australia and New Zealand, the UFC all (time) record, which was Conor and somebody, but it’s looking like it’s going to break that record. “It’s a monster fight.”
McGregor is set to return to the octagon against Michael Chandler in his first UFC fight since breaking his leg two years ago.
HOW TO WATCH UFC 284?
UFC 284 is available to stream via Main Event and Kayo.
FULL UFC 284 FIGHT CARD
Alex Volkanovski vs Islam Makhachev — lightweight title fight
Yair Rodriguez vs Josh Emmett — featherweight
Jack Della Maddalena def Randy Brown via submission (R1 2.13)
Justin Tafa def Parker Porter via KO (R1 1.06)
Jimmy Crute vs Alonzo Menifield — draw
PRELIMS
Modestas Bukauskas def Tyson Pedro via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x 2)
Josh Culibao def Melsik Baghdasaryan via submission (R2 rear naked choke)
EARLY PRELIMS
Kleydon Rodrigues def Shannon Ross via R1 TKO
Jamie Mullarkey def Francisco Prado via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Jack Jenkins def Don Shainis via unanimous decison (30-27, 30-27, 29-28))
Loma Lookboonme def Elise Reed via submission (rear naked choke round 2)
Blake Bilder def Shane Young via unanmous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
Elves Brenner def Zubhaira Tukhugov via split decision (29-28, 30-27)