The UFC returned to Australia tonight for a fight card that included two championship bouts and a historic main event. The crowd brought the energy for this stacked card and some of the very best fighters in the world put on a show that kept them on their feet all night.
Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the night and break down the three fights we looked at in our UFC 284 preview.
Prelim Highlights:
It took less than a minute for Kleydson Rodrigues to put away Shannon Ross after an all-out blitz of furious strikes. After a few quick punches landed and Ross appeared to be hurt, Rodrigues pulled out all the stops, launching spinning attacks and wild punches to both the head and the body. After just a few seconds of strikes, the ref had to step in and call the fight. It was a hugely impressive performance for the young flyweight who should be looking at a big fight his next time out.
Josh Culibao took his opportunity to remind fans that momentum can change more quickly in MMA than any other sport in his bout against Melsik Baghdasaryan. The first round was largely controlled by Baghdasaryan, who grabbed control of the octagon and landed some good shots that bloodied Culibao. The second round started out looking like more of the same but a jab and a slip opened a very small window for Culibao and he jumped right through it. As Baghdasaryan scrambled to get to his feet, Culibao pounced and quickly grabbed a rear naked choke that forced the tapout just seconds later. It was an incredibly quick turn of the tides and a gritty win for the featherweight contender.
In the final fight of the prelims, it seemed like a sure thing we would get some fireworks from Tyson Pedro and Modestas Bukauskus. Instead, Pedro secured a takedown in the middle of the first round and the ensuing grappling appeared to gas him out a bit. From that point on, Bukauskus controlled the octagon and the striking game but still never really threw much volume at Pedro. In the end, Bukauskus was awarded a hard-fought decision and it was an impressive performance for someone who took the fight on about two-weeks’ notice in his first fight back in the UFC since being released years ago.
Main Card Highlights:
In the first fight on pay-per-view, both Jimmy Crute and Alonzo Menifield put on a clinic in endurance. Crute scored a takedown early and pressured Menifield for several minutes, securing multiple takedowns and constantly challenging with submissions. Menifield survived though and managed to turn the tide by landing some big shots on the feet, staggering Crute and threatening to score a finish in both the first and second rounds. Crute weathered the storm and went right back to the grappling, pressing for another takedown in the third when Menifield grabbed the fence to defend, an infraction that cost him a point on the scorecards. That deduction proved to be the difference maker as the fight went the distance and was ruled a majority draw. It was a disappointing end to what was otherwise a very entertaining fight.
The lone heavyweight fight on the card certainly did not disappoint. Justin Tafa and Parker Porter has a whole lot of power in their hands and it was on display almost immediately as both guys came out throwing. Just about a minute into the fight, Porter lunged forward with a looping right hand and Tafa countered with a right of his own, right down the middle, landing on Porter’s chin. The big man dropped and Tafa walked off as the ref stepped in to call the fight. It was a huge win for Tafa and the type of performance that will get him a very big fight his next time out.
Jack Della Maddalena def. Randy Brown
The energy really picked up in the RAC Arena when the Australian Jack Della Maddalena made his way to the octagon. The clear fan favorite has been on a streak of knockouts and the crowd wanted to see another. The early going was rough for Della Maddalena though as he struggled to get in range of the much longer Randy Brown. The length looked like it was going to be a difficult puzzle to solve, but it didn’t take all that long for Della Maddalena. About two minutes in, he managed to cut off the cage and force Brown back up against the fence, allowing him to get inside and land a big right hand. That one punch dropped Brown and Della Maddalena pounced, landing a few more shots before sinking in a rear naked choke and securing a submission victory. I had assumed Della Maddalena was already in the welterweight division’s top 15 before this fight. He should definitely find himself in there after this performance.
My pick: Della Maddalena via 2nd round knockout
Result: Della Maddalena via 1st round knockout
Yair Rodriguez def. Josh Emmett
The featherweight throne may have been temporarily vacated by Alexander Volkanovski, who moved up to the lightweight division for the main event, but the co-main event was all about finding out who would be waiting for him when he got back. Both Rodriguez and Emmett would make interesting challengers and great interim champs but it was Rodriguez who wasted no time proving tonight would be his night.
Rodriguez put on an absolute striking clinic against Emmett, landing some devastating kicks to the legs and the body in the early going. He also did a masterful job of keeping on the outside where Emmett couldn’t reach him, which was especially evident after the fight prior, where Brown could not execute that assignment. Emmett did land a couple of good shots and put Rodriguez on his back, but grappling skills allowed him to survive and get to the end of the round. In the second, Rodriguez opened up even more, throwing some more creative strikes, including a flying knee that landed but left Rodriguez on his back. Emmet got on top and tried to take advantage, but Rodriguez quickly slipped on a triangle choke and secured a submission win and the interim championship. A showdown between Rodriguez and Volkanovksi is in our future and it will be a very exciting fight.
My pick: Rodriguez via decision
Result: Rodriguez via 2nd round submission
Islam Makhachev def. Alexander Volkanovski
The energy for just the walkouts for this main event was off the charts as the crowd was obviously very much in the corner of the Australian Alexander Volkanovski. That energy never let up, even when both guys were tentatively feeling each other out in the early going. Volk landing a big shot that staggered Makhachev only fired the crowd up even more. And even when Makhachev took momentum back and scored a takedown, the crowd kept going, cheering and chanting for Volkanovski.
It’s difficult to even pick out specific moments from this fight because it was so back and forth, each guy having their moments again and again. Makhachev scored points in the stand up, where it was certain Volkanovski had the advantage. Volk managed to escape Makhachev’s control and get back to his feet, which no one else has ever been able to do. It was technically perfect from every angle and incredibly entertaining.
After five, back and forth, wildly fun rounds, a very close unanimous decision victory was awarded to Makhachev, much to the chagrin of the Australian audience. More importantly though, this was one of the greatest UFC fights of all time. It was exactly what you would expect from a bout between the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world: an absolute chess match. This was MMA executed at the absolute highest level. Everything from the skills in the octagon to the commentary work to the crowd’s understanding of the intricacies of the sport was completely on point for this main event. If you want to show a prospective new fan what the UFC is, this is the fight to show them.
What’s next for both of these fighters is certainly going to be interesting. Obviously, we’re going to see Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez for the featherweight championship in the near future, which will make for a very exciting fight. As for the lightweight crown, Makhachev simply said he wants a real challenger. We’ll just have to wait and see who the UFC lines up for him next.
My pick: Volkanovski via decision
Result: Makhachev via decision
The UFC will return to ESPN+ on Sunday, February 18th for UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Blanchfield. Be sure to check back for a preview of the event.