Islam Makhachev

SportsLine's Daniel Vithlani just revealed his UFC 284: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski best bets and props for Saturday's fight in Australia.

Brown (16-4) is a seven-year UFC veteran who has yet to crack the top-15 rankings despite winning six of his past seven fights. He's stepping up for a massive challenge against Makhachev (23-1), who was widely hailed as a potential future champion when he joined the UFC in May 2015. Makhachev is a -440 favorite (risk $440 to win $100), while Volkanovski is priced at +335 (risk $100 to win $335) in the latest UFC 284: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski and every other bout on the UFC 284 card. The 26-year-old Australian brawler has fast become one of the division's hottest prospects behind first-round knockouts in each of his first three UFC outings. But the Russian realized his potential with a signature win over Oliveira, who had won 11 consecutive fights. A razor-thin win by split decision in the rematch eight months later prompted a rare trilogy, but the featherweight champion left no doubt with a lopsided decision win over Holloway at UFC 276 last July. The main event of UFC 284 is essentially a super fight between the top two fighters in the promotion's pound-for-pound rankings. But his dominance can't be denied, and a win Saturday should cement his place as the sport's dominant current star. Before locking in any UFC 284: Makhachev vs. He also trains amateur boxers and speaks regularly with MMA fighters to understand the sport's nuances. But the understated Makhachev, who is making his first title defense, told the media he's fine with the imbalance of attention because it allows him to focus on the task at hand.

Check out the betting odds for UFC 284, which have Islam Makhachev favored Alex Volkanovski in the main event.

According to the betting lines, the most likely result of the UFC 284 main event is Islam coming up with a sub. The oddsmakers see Volkanovski’s best shot at winning here is on points, and even then the lightweight champ is given a better shot at pulling that off. Not only do the betting odds have Makhachev winning, but they also have the UFC’s lightweight champion favored to find a finish. The bookies are not banking on this one making it to the final bell. Not much has changed here since the weigh-ins, as Makhachev is still posted up around the -380 mark, and Volkanovski remains at a large +320 underdog value. Before that, though, let’s go have one final look at what the betting odds have to say.

World pound-for-pound No.1 and No. 2 meet in the octagon. Check out our UFC odds series for our Makhachev-Volkanovski prediction and pick.

I think this fight will be competitive for the first two rounds as the fighters feel each other out. It shouldn’t be too much of an issue since he’ll be gaining strength in his hands and power in his shots with the extra pounds. The pride of Australia and former Rugby player will have a tough test as he’ll be the significantly smaller man in this matchup, a test he’s been facing for most of his life. The only way Volkanovski can win this fight convincingly is if he keeps it standing and outstrikes Islam for five rounds. Cleaning out the division and cementing himself as the featherweight GOAT, Volk will look to challenge himself in moving up a division. Gaining 10 pounds and fighting closer to his natural weight, it will be interesting to see how the added weight affects his mobility. He seems to look faster and faster each time out, darting around the octagon and hitting opponents with stunning shots throughout the whole fight. Fighting in his home division, he’ll have the upper hand as the bigger man in this one, as the betting line suggests. He’s durable, he’s quick, he’s powerful, and he’s a genius in the octagon with an unbreakable mindset. Khabib has been saying it for years now; Islam Makhachev will be the world’s number one fighter, regardless of weight class. He’s 12-1 in the UFC with his lone loss coming in 2015. His ultimate goal is to be ranked the World’s P4P No.

Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett will clash in the co-main event for the UFC featherweight championship as well at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The UFC 284 ...

Jack Jenkins vs. Tyson Pedro vs. Jimmy Crute vs. Justin Tafa vs. Yair Rodriguez vs. Islam Makhachev vs.

Check out who the experts at CBS Sports are taking in the champion vs. champion showdown on Saturday.

Rodriguez Tafa Rodriguez vs. It is possible that Makhachev finds enough success with the takedowns that he catches a distracted Volkanovski on the feet -- much like he did against Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov did against Conor McGregor -- but that's about it. Maddalena Campbell: Will size be the difference in Makhachev defending his lightweight title or is his combination of skills and the evolution of his striking enough on its own to outduel the wizardry of Volkanovski? Tafa vs. Crute Maddalena vs. Makhachev Two of the UFC's best collide on Saturday night in a massive champion vs. Volkanovski has never lost in the UFC Octagon while going undefeated for nearly a decade in his professional career.

Here is all you need to know about UFC 283, including where you can watch the title fight between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski.

ET ET GMT The Sporting News may earn an affiliate commission through our links when you sign up for a streaming service. Makhachev and Volkanovski should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. - Main event: 12:15 a.m. 2 p.m. - Main card: 10 p.m. 12 p.m. - Prelims: 8 p.m. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $124.98 for the UFC 284 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent. and Mexico on the Since then, he has won eight in a row, beating Max Holloway for the UFC featherweight title in 2019.

On Saturday, Alexander Volkanovski will meet lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for the 155-pound title and the mythical status as the best ...

There are 12 fights on the card tonight in Perth, including two title fights. Follow along live with ESPN for the latest analysis and updates.

[Islam Makhachev](https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/3332412/islam-makhachev) is the clear-cut No. Makhachev, 31, is the longtime training partner and friend of [Khabib Nurmagomedov](https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/2611557/khabib-nurmagomedov), the all-time great former lightweight champion. [Alexander Volkanovski](https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/3949584/alexander-volkanovski) is the undisputed top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. [Charles Oliveira](https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/2504169/charles-oliveira) at UFC 280 last September via second-round submission to win the 155-pound title. [Yair Rodriguez](https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/3155420/yair-rodriguez) will face [Josh Emmett](https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/4011299/josh-emmett) for the interim featherweight title. In the modern era of MMA it may have never happened before, with the