UFC 284 LIVE: Volkanovski vs Makhachev stream, latest updates and result tonight

Re-live all the action after featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski challenged lightweight title holder Islam Makhachev, and Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett clashed for interim gold

Alex Volkanovski previews his UFC 284 title fight with Islam Makhachev

Alexander Volkanovski came up agonisingly short in his bid to become a dual-weight champion at UFC 284, suffering a narrow decision loss to Islam Makhachev on Saturday.

Australian Volkanovski entered and exited the RAC Arena in Perth as featherweight champion, but the lightweight title eluded him as 155lbs champion Makhachev secured a unanimous-decision win in enemy territory.

Volkanovski had promised to disprove doubters who had claimed he was too small to compete with Makhachev, and the 34-year-old did just that, standing almost every time he was taken down – as he had said he would – reversing grappling positions along the fence, and twice dropping the Russian with punches. Makhachev also fought an impressive fight, however, securing some clinical takedowns and dropping Volkanovski to a knee at one point and wobbling the Australian with strikes elsewhere.

Many present in the arena felt that Volkanovski had done enough to dethrone Makhachev, but the scorecards read 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 in the Russian’s favour. In fact, Makhachev will have likely dethroned Volkanovski as the UFC’s pound-for-pound No 1 fighter come Monday morning, having entered UFC 284 at No 2.

In the co-main event, Yair Rodriguez claimed the interim featherweight title with a second-round submission of Josh Emmett, establishing himself as the next challenger to Volkanovski at 145lbs. Re-live updates and see results from the UFC 284 main card and prelims, below.

UFC 284 LIVE

• Makhachev (C) def. Volkanovski via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
• Rodriguez def. Emmett via second-round submission (triangle choke, 4:19)
• Della Maddalena def. Brown via first-round submission (rear naked choke, 2:13)
• Tafa def. Porter via first-round knockout (1:06)
• Crute vs Menifield ends as majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
• Plus prelim updates and results

[12 February 2023 01:25 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 284 LIVE

Mullarkey vs Prado – Round 2

Mullarkey connects with a crisp left hook to Prado’s cheek.

Stiff inside low kick from Mullarkey now. He then shows off some tidy head movement to avoid Prado’s own attempt at a left hook.

Prado blocks a high kick and continues to press forward. He kicks low twice.

Some laughs echo around the arena after some Karate Kid references in the Perth crowd.

[12 February 2023 01:20 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 284 LIVE

Mullarkey vs Prado – Round 1

Mullarkey chooses to stand, but he soon secures a body lock from behind and drags Prado back to the mat.

Mullarkey is back in full guard and fires off a huge elbow from above! He seemed to cut Prado’s head in the last exchange on the canvas, and that wound will only open up further now.

[12 February 2023 01:18 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 284 LIVE

Mullarkey vs Prado – Round 1

“Oh, Jamie Mullarkey,” is the chant ringing around the RAC Arena in Perth. He blocks a head kick then throws a low kick of his own.

Lots of forward pressure from Prado, who flicks out a front kick and keeps looking for counter left hooks to the head. Now Mullarkey evades a spinning back kick and shoots for a double-leg takedown, which he executes perfectly!

Prado briefly tries for a triangle choke, then he considers an armbar. Mullarkey is sensible with his defence, however, and is able to get off a few strikes in full guard.

[12 February 2023 01:15 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 284 LIVE

The prelims begin with a lightweight bout between Australia’s own Jamie Mullarkey and unbeaten Argentine Francisco Prado.

At 20 years old, Prado is the second-youngest fighter in the UFC.

[12 February 2023 01:10 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 284 LIVE

Early prelim results:

Jack Jenkins def. Don Shainis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Loma Lookboonmee def. Elise Reed via second-round submission (rear naked choke, 0:44)

Blake Bilder def. Shane Young via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Elves Brenner def. Zubaira Tukhugov via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

[12 February 2023 01:00 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 284 LIVE

The UFC 284 prelims will begin any moment now, and our live coverage begins with them!

First, though, a recap of the early prelim results...

[12 February 2023 00:40 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 284 LIVE

[12 February 2023 00:20 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 284 LIVE

According to the UFC’s rankings, tonight’s main event pits the promotion’s No 1 fighter, Volkanovski, against its No 2, Makhachev.

But do those evalutations line up with The Independent’s own pound-for-pound UFC rankings?

Find out below:

[12 February 2023 00:05 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 284 LIVE

The UFC 284 *early prelims* are under way as we speak! We will provide live updates from the subsequent prelims at 1am GMT.

[12 February 2023 00:00 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 284 LIVE

UFC president Dana White has dismissed Islam Makhachev’s claim that UFC 284 has suffered from insufficient promotion.

Makhachev will defend the UFC lightweight title against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in the main event tonight, with the card taking place in Perth, Australia.

Ahead of the event, which could see home fighter Volkanovski become the UFC’s fifth ever dual-weight champion, Makhachev suggested that the company has not done justice to the headline bout.

The 31-year-old told RSports Russia: “I see that it is not such big promotion. Dana White himself has some problems [after footage emerged of him slapping his wife]. He does not pay much attention to this fight. Here in Perth, everyone knows about the fight and is looking forward to it, [but] in terms of pay-per-view, yes, more could have been done. I only saw Volkanovski once, in Sydney. A tour could be organised around the world, a [news] conference could be held in America.”

How did White respond? Find out here: