UFC 284 Results: Live From RAC Arena, Perth (Western Australia)
UPDATE [12/02/2023]: In a controversial unanimous decision, Islam Makhachev has successfully defended his lightweight title against Alexander Volkanovski to become the UFC’s #1 pound-for-pound fighter. More to come.
In the promotion’s first pay-per-view event on our sunburnt shores since 2019, homegrown featherweight titleholder and reigning pound-for-pound king – Alexander Volkanovski – will challenge current lightweight titleholder and Dagestani phenom – Islam Makhachev – in a bid to join the rarefied company of UFC double division champion.
“He’s got a pretty big head. An easy target,” quipped Alexander Volkanovski during a media call hosted in George St, Sydney last month.
Volkanovski’s success will hinge entirely upon how he responds to the world-beating grappling of Islam Makhachev’s calibre, which not even a decorated submission assassin like former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira could contend with.
RELATED: The Fight Alexander Volkanovski Needs To Take Before An Islam Makhachev Rematch
“[Volkanovski] tried to bring some wrestling to his team to make his wrestling good but you have to wrestle all your life,” said Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protégé.
“This is not boxing or kickboxing. This is different. With wrestling, you have to do it your whole life.”
While this is by no means the first cross-division bout between champions in the UFC, this does mark the first instance the top men’s pound-for-pound fighters have met inside the Octagon, hence all the talk of it being “historic.” And although we’re barely midway through February, it wouldn’t be premature to call this one of the biggest MMA events of 2023.
We’ll be updating the UFC 284 results live from Perth’s RAC Arena as it progresses.
RELATED: Joe Rogan Left Speechless By “Controversial” UFC 284 Decision Against Alexander Volkanovski
UFC 284 Results (Main Card)
Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski [C]
What we’d initially planned to be a live play-by-play analysis was quickly abandoned thanks to the adrenaline and sheer fanfare experienced cageside at Perth’s RAC Arena.
Against all odds, Alexander Volkanovski has weathered the grappling-heavy storm that is Islam Makhachev, imposing his will upon the Dagestani talent while taking close to zero damage. And yet still, Makhachev remains the UFC lightweight champion.
Islam Makhachev wins via Decision (Unanimous)
Yair Rodriguez vs Josh Emmett [IC]
Round 1: After testing out his range, Rodriguez lands a nasty body kick and right hand. Halfway through the round they stand and trade by the fence. Emmett blitzes Rodriguez on two consecutive occasions to not avail. Emmett catches Rodriguez with a right and follows him to the ground. Emmett is now looking to pass Rodriguez’s guard and making him pay for every second of being bottom position with heavy elbows.
Josh Emmett enters the second round with the scorecard advantage in knockdowns and control time.
Round 2: Both fighters are now trading heavy. Emmett has failed to complete two separate single leg takedown attempts. It’s hard to imagine this going to another round. Rodriguez stuns Emmett with a short-range elbow and follows up with the combination. Emmett fires back a combination of his own, but he appears to be loading up on the right hand too frequently. Rodriguez can see it coming a mile away. Rodriguez executes a flying knee but ends up on his back. Emmett is once again on top position. From the bottom, Rodriguez is throwing elbows. Rodriguez locks up the triangle. It’s all over. With his first-ever UFC submission victory, Yair Rodriguez is the new interim UFC featherweight champion.
Round 3: TBA
Round 4: TBA
Round 5: TBA
Yair Rodriguez wins via Submission (Triangle Choke)
Jack Della Maddalena vs Randy Brown
Round 1: Brown charges forward with a jab. Maddalena trips Brown up with an outside leg kick. Brown is chaining sharp combinations but mostly meeting guard. Maddalena drops Brown and gives him a hearty bit of ground and pound before sinking the rear-naked choke. The hometown boy gets it done.
Round 2: TBA
Round 3: TBA
Jack Della Maddalena wins via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
Justin Tafa vs Parker Porter
Round 1: Tafa sleeps Porter with a mean one-two in the opening minute of Round 1.
Round 2: TBA
Round 3: TBA
Justin Tafa wins via KO (punches)
Jimmy Crute vs Alonzo Menifield
Round 1: Crute dictates the pace nice and early, grounding Menifield and taking full mount on several occasions. At one stage, the Aussie threatens the guillotine, only to lose position. Now Menifield is threatening the guillotine. When they stand, Menifield stuns Crute and almost ends the bout by way of TKO. Crute clings on for dear life and lives to see Round 2.
Alonzo Menifield enters the second round with the scorecard advantage in significant strikes and control time (only just).
Round 2: Crute’s not out of the woods just yet. Menifield drops him with a straight right and goes to work with ground and pound. Crute crawls towards the fence and (somehow) survives the barrage. Back on their feet, Crute is now coming back in force, albeit in wobbly fashion – he taunts Menifield with an open mouth and extended tongue as he continues to eat punches. Crute takes Menifield down against the fence and gets to work. Crute attempts multiple rear-naked chokes. The clock runs out.
Too close to call on the scorecards.
Round 3: Crute finds early success in his jabs and check hooks. One of Menifield’s jabs slips through the guard and snaps Crute’s head back. Menifield swings wild with the left, Crute duck, slips, and forces him against the fence. During this exchange, Menifield is penalised a point for grabbing the fence. Crute runs the pipe and lands another successful single leg takedown. Progressing to half mount, he gets to pounding. When Menifield turns to his knees, Crute slides to the back and gets the seatbelt grip. Menifield is covering up as Crute slings hammer fists to the side of his head.
Jimmy Crute vs Alonzo Menifield ends in a Majority Draw.
UFC 284 Results (Prelims)
Tyson Pedro vs Modestas Bukauskas
Round 1: Bukauskas opens the round with a spinning back kick. Pedro eats a one-two A little while later, Pedro eats a few more. Bukauskas takes another stab at the spinning back kick. Bukauskas level changes and forces Bukauskas to the fence, securing the bodylock. Pedro picks Bukauskas up and drops him on the ground. Pedro smothers Bukauskas n side control. Pedro switches to a north-south position. Eventually, after some questionable guard pass attempts from Pedro, they stand to begin trading again.
While it was initially close, Tyson Pedro enters the second round with the scorecard advantage in takedowns and control time.
Round 2: Pedro is proceeding more cautiously now. With the exception of the odd power shot, the exchanges largely resemble point sparring. Pedro accidentally teeps Bukauskas in the groin. A timeout is called. When the action resumes, it’s more of the same. Both fighters respect each other’s power now. Bukauskas wings, Pedro ducks, slips, and forces him against the fence. Bukauskas breaks the clinch with a spinning backfist attempt.
At this stage, it’s too close to call who has the overall advantage.
Round 3: Something drastic needs to occur for either fighter to prevail. They test their ranges once again with languid leg + body kicks and jabs. Bukauskas’s right hand finds a home on Pedro’s sturdy chin. Pedro secures double unders and presses Bukauskas against the fence again. Bukauskas striking accuracy is improving, the decision is leaning in the Baltic Gladiator’s favour. Pedro forces Bukauskas against the fence to no avail – he’s getting touched up. The umpteenth clinch exchange of the bout occurs. 40 seconds to go and it’s not looking good for Pedro. Bukauskas is pouring it on with high kicks.
Modestas Bukauskas wins via Decision (Unanimous)
Josh Culibao vs Melsik Baghdasaryan
Round 1: Culibao launches a head kick and swipes at air, three leg kicks land almost immediately after. Baghdasaryan begins to find his range and pushes forward, busting Culibao’s nose. Baghdasaryan eats a one-two mid-taunt. Baghdasaryan lands an overhand left. Baghdasaryan’s spinning back kick makes contact with Culibao’s groin. A timeout is called. Baghdasaryan makes a big show in the final 10 seconds with a tornado kick that backs Culibao to the fence.
Baghdasaryan enters the second round with the scorecard advantage in significant strikes.
Round 2: At this stage, both fighters’ lead legs are bright red. In a clinch, Baghdasaryan swings wildly. At the break, they both edge towards each other cautiously. They stand at the fence and trade heavy kicks. Culibao drops Baghdasaryan and sinks the rear-naked choke.
Round 3: TBA
Josh Culibao wins via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
Shannon Ross vs Kleydson Rodrigues
Round 1: After finding his range with a nasty inside leg kick, Rodrigues follows up with a flying knee and relentless onslaught of punches. Ross stumbles, Rodrigues goes headhunting. Ross is brought to his knees, Rodrigues continues slugging away, the referee calls for a stoppage at 0:59.
Round 2: TBA
Round 3: TBA
Kleydson Rodrigues wins via TKO (Punches)
Jamie Mullarkey vs Francisco Prado
Round 1: Mullarkey comes out the gates strong with a body kick that mostly meets guard. They trade head kick attempts for leg kicks. Prado stuns Mullarkey with a flurry. Mullarkey lands a double leg. Prado attempts a kimura from bottom. Stalemate in closed guard. Mullarkey begins raining blows from top. They stand. Mullarkey secures the body lock from behind and drags him back down to the canvas. Mullarkey improves his position to full mount before losing it. Mullarkey rains heavy elbows from above.
Mullarkey enters the second round with the scorecard advantage in significant strikes, takedowns, and control time.
Round 2: Mullarkey begins to find more success landing punches on Prado’s head, certainly more active than in Round 1. Prado appears to be faltering already, his movements less sharp and precise. Mullarkey lands a head kick that makes it through Prado’s guard. Mullarkey is working downstairs and upstairs. Prado attempts a single leg takedown that Mullarkey promptly stuffs. Prado isn’t finding his range up top or below and consistently swipes at air. It’s beginning to look extremely lopsided in Mullarkey’s favour.
Mullarkey enters the third round with an even greater scorecard advantage in significant strikes, takedowns, and control time.
Round 3: Prado still isn’t finding his range while Mullarkey is growing ever comfortable. At this stage, the Aussie is landing whatever he pleases while the young Argentinian prospect is free bleeding. Mullarkey stuffs yet another single leg attempt. Prado lands a solid check hook. Mullarkey smiles. Mullarkey shoots a blast double, sending Prado to the canvas flat on his back. Mullarkey begins suffocating Prado in side control. With an entire minute left, Prado manages to reverse the position and desperately attempts a kimura. Mullarkey escapes.
Jamie Mullarkey wins via Decision (Unanimous)
UFC 284 Results (Early Prelims)
Jack Jenkins vs Don Shainis
Jack Jenkins wins via Decision (Unanimous)
Loma Lookboonmee vs Elise Reed
Loma Lookboonmee wins via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
Shane Young vs Blake Bilder
Blake Bilder wins via Decision (Unanimous)
Zubaira Tukhugov vs Elves Brener
Elves Brener wins via Decision (Split)
