UFC 284: How to watch Volkanovski vs Makhachev online and on TV | main card, time, date, prediction
All the info you need to know on the UFC 284 card at RAC Arena, Perth, on February 11th, which starts at 6 p.m. ET.
2023 promises to be a great year for fighting fans, as the UFC has already announced quite a few mouthwatering fights for the upcoming months, starting with the Alexander Volkanovski vs Islam Makhachev super bout, without a doubt one of the best fights MMA fans can enjoy nowadays.
Watch Alexander Volkanovski vs Islam Makhachev live stream on ESPN+
Volkanovski vs Makhachev: pound-for-pound dominance and double-champ status
The UFC travels to Australia for a huge main event at UFC 284. Alexander Volkanovski (25-1) and Islam Makhachev (23-1) will battle it out in Perth in a fight that will go down in history.
Even if the main event is not the one that has attracted the most attention and headlines, on paper, it’s one of the biggest fights ever, if not the biggest, as it’s the first time the UFC sees a fight between the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter face the No. 2 fighter in the world in a bout with a championship at stake.
The Great, the UFC featherweight champion and Australian hero, has proven nobody can stop him in the division, defeating Max Holloway in their three fights, Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, and Chan Sung Jung.
Meanwhile, the lightweight champion Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s friend and protegé, goes into the fight after an impressive submission win over Charles Oliveira that saw him get the belt.
How to watch UFC 284?
The PPV main event card is scheduled to start at 10:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 11th, while the prelims begin at 6:00 p.m. ET.
Watch the Alexander Volkanovski vs Islam Makhachev whole card live stream on ESPN+
Who else is fighting at UFC 284?
Besides the mega fight between Volkanovski and Makhachev, the card offers a spectacular bout in the co-main event for the featherweight interim belt between two of the most explosive fighters in the UFC: Yair Rodríguez and Josh Emmet.
The Mexican has always delivered great shows inside the octagon with his unpredictable fighting style and movement, while Josh Emmet, with an 18-2 record, will try to take a step forward to a potential undisputed featherweight title bout in the featherweight division if he gets his hand raised in Perth.
Moreover, local fans will be able to see Australian rising stars Jack Della Maddalena and Jimmy Crute face Jamaican Randy Brown and American Alonzo Menifield, respectively in what promise to be two all-action affairs.
UFC 284 card
Early Prelims (6 pm ET)
- Jack Jenkins vs Don Shainis
- Loma Lookboonmee vs Elise Reed
- Shane Young vs Blake Bilder
- Zubaira Tukhugov vs Elves Brener
Prelims (8 pm ET)
- Tyson Pedro vs Modestas Bukauskas
- Josh Culibao vs Melsik Baghdasaryan
- Shannon Ross vs Kleydson Rodrigues
- Jamie Mullarkey vs Francisco Prado
Main Card (10 pm ET)
- Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski
- Yair Rodriguez vs Josh Emmett
- Jack Della Maddalena vs Randy Brown
- Justin Tafa vs Parker Porter
- Jimmy Crute vs Alonzo Menifield
UFC 284: Volkanovski vs Makhachev prediction
It’s no secret it’s the biggest fight in both fighters’ careers, not only because of what’s at stake but because they probably never faced such a strong opposition so far. Volkanovski and Makhachev have only lost once.
The Dagestani fighter is the clear favorite here because of his size and his ruthless grappling, as he probably possesses the best ground game in the whole UFC after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s departure.
Volkanovski will have to deal with many challenges in Perth: the size disadvantage and Makhachev’s takedown attempts and pressure, as well as his underrated boxing game.
It won’t be an easy fight for any fighter, with Volk probably making Makhachev work every single minute of the bout and the latter looking for a slick combination of striking and grappling. Volkanovski may end up being more durable than expected, but Makhachev is expected to reign supreme in the end.
Prediction: Makhachev wins by submission