True superfights are still rare in mixed martial arts. Rarer still are those that actually live up to the billing or exceed expectations. The first of two encounters between reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev and current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski checked all the boxes—and then some. The result? Sherdog.com’s “Fight of the Year.
Makhachev performed brilliantly in a hostile environment, recorded his 12th straight victory and retained his undisputed lightweight crown with an exhaustive five-round unanimous decision over “Alexander The Great” in the UFC 284 main event on Feb.