Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski: UFC 284 Odds, Prediction

Volkanovski has reigned as the UFC featherweight titleholder since recording the first of three victories over Max Holloway over three years ago at UFC 245, and rides an epic 22-fight win streak into Saturday’s clash at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Makhachev gets set to defend the UFC lightweight championship for the first time after claiming the belt with a second-round submission win over Charles Oliveira and has now won his past 11 contests, including finishes in each of his past five.

While he may dominate the UFC featherweight division, Volkanovski trails badly on the UFC 284 odds in his first lightweight clash since 2016, pegged as a +245 underdog while Makhachev leads the way as a heavy -340 favourite.

Islam Makhachev UFC 284 Odds

Islam Makhachev has developed into a dominant force in the octagon since joining the UFC back in 2015. Since getting humbled in a first-round KO loss to Adriano Martins in just his second octagon appearance at UFC 192, the 31-year-old has developed into one of the most fearsome finishers in all of MMA. Makhachev has tallied submission wins in four of his past five fights including a first-round finish of Dan Hooker at UFC 267. And while he is not particularly known for his punching power, it is tough to overlook that his two KO victories since joining the UFC have come on a combined total of just 17 strikes.

Makhachev is equally efficient at defending, surrendering just 0.95 significant strikes per minute while compiling a strike defence of 66 per cent. The question now is how will Makhachev fare against the hardest hitting opponent he has ever faced in Volkanovski, who is equally comfortable taking the action to the mat?

Alexander Volkanovski UFC 284Odds

Alexander Volkanovski has established himself as the UFC’s top pound-for-pound fighter during his march to the top of the UFC featherweight division. And if there were any doubts about the 34-year-old’s ability to rise to the occasion, one must only watch his epic trilogy of victories over former champion Max Holloway. Undefeated for almost 10 years since suffering a TKO loss in his early days fighting in his native Australia, Volkanovski has left no question about his ability to take on all comers during his 22-0 run.

A knockout specialist early in his career, Volkanovski has evolved his game since joining the UFC, and has seen eight of his past 11 fights get decided by the judges. One of the swiftest punchers in MMA history, Volkanovski wears downs opponents with unrelenting punches, and has racked a combined total of 940 strikes over his past six fights. The all-time leader in average fight time among UFC featherweights, Volkanovki is also an accomplished wrestler, and has tallied nine total takedowns over his past four fights.

UFC 284 Prediction: Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski

Fight fans are in for a treat as the top two fighters on the UFC pound-for-pound rankings face off. Both these fighters have the capability to end things quickly, with Makhachev holding the edge on the floor while Volkanovski is the superior puncher.

However, the longer this fight goes, the more it will favour “Alexander the Great”, who enjoys far more experience engaging in marathon matchups with topflight opponents. And with Makhachev never having faced an opponent who possesses such relentless punching power, the value can be found in Volkanovski pulling off the upet in a battle for the ages.

Prediction: Alexander Volkanovski to Win by KO,TKO,DQ (+485)