Author: Dan Hiergesell

It all goes down tonight (Sat., Feb. 11, 2023) at UFC 284 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, as Islam Makhachev defends his UFC lightweight title against reigning UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in a massive superfight between pound-for-pound bests.

Volkanovski is a heavy betting underdog in this main event matchup due in part to his lack of size and wrestling chops compared to Makhachev. However, Volkanovski’s 12-0 UFC record tells all there is to know about the Australian champion. He understands how to win and outlast his opponent at any cost. This is by far his toughest test to date, but Volkanovski is on an absolute tear and could very well shock the world.

Makhachev, on the other hand, is expected to win this fight. The Dagestani fighter just submitted Charles Oliveira last October to win the UFC lightweight title and extend his unbeaten streak to 11. Makhachev has followed well in the footsteps of Khabib Nurmagomedov and will look to cement himself as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world this weekend on enemy soil.

In advance to tonight’s action the promotion has been kind enough to release the “Cold Open” video introduction for the $79.99 PPV main card. It’s a hefty price tag so we suggest watch the opening montage — narrated by actor Ron Perlman — to see if you want in. Check it out in the above video player.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 284 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 284: “Makhachev vs. Volkanovski” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 284 lineup and bout order click here.

Both the officials weigh ins (HERE) and ceremonial weigh ins (HERE) are complete ahead of UFC 284 tomorrow night (Sat., Feb. 11, 2023) live on ESPN+ PPV from inside RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, and fight fans can now check out the final main card staredowns.

Leading the way will be a main event super fight for the ages as UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski puts his 12-0 UFC record on the line in a jump up to lightweight. He’ll meet newly crowned champion and all-around world beater, Islam Makhachev. It is a matchup of the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.

Check out the final staredown below:

Adding to the mix will be a co-main event clash between featherweight veterans Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett. With Volkanovski taking his talents to 155 pounds for the time being Rodriguez and Emmett will collide for the interim UFC featherweight title, although it’s really just a glorified No. 1 contender’s bout.

Check out their final faceoff below:

Finally, the UFC 284 PPV main card will also feature an enticing matchup between welterweight contenders Jack Della Maddalena and Randy Brown. This is the toughest test to date for Della Maddalena after starting his UFC career with three-straight wins. Brown, on the other hand, is riding his own four-fight win streak.

Their final staredown can be seen below:

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 284 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 284: “Makhachev vs. Volkanovski” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 284 lineup and bout order click here.

With the UFC 284 official weigh ins already in the books (results HERE), fight fans can now check out the ceremonial weigh ins ahead of tomorrow night’s (Sat., Feb. 11, 2023) pay-per-view (PPV) event live on ESPN+ from inside RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The UFC 284 ceremonial weigh ins video stream will air LIVE at 10 p.m. ET in the above video player.

UFC 284 will be headlined by a massive champ vs. champ title fight as Islam Makhachev puts his UFC lightweight title on the line for the first time against reigning featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski. In addition, the interim UFC featherweight title will be up for grabs in a co-main event matchup featuring exciting strikers Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 284 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 284: “Makhachev vs. Volkanovski” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 284 lineup and bout order click here.

The legendary Jose Aldo made his professional boxing debut earlier tonight (Fri., Feb. 10, 2023) at Shooto Brazil Boxing live on UFC Fight Pass from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as the former UFC featherweight champion made easy work of opponent Emmanuel Zambrano via unanimous decision.

Aldo was a massive favorite entering his debut, but fans still wondered how the MMA great would fair inside of the boxing ring. In typical Aldo fashion in hung in the pocket and welcomed the action. He relied on quick head movement to defuse Zambrano and allow himself a window to exchange with hard punches and upper cuts.

Zambrano was able to stay on his feet after eating some really big shots so he does deserve some credit. But this was Aldo’s show from the opening bell as the crowd roared with every shot landed. It was a great performance for Aldo and yet another moment to add to an already memorable career.

Check out the full fight video highlights below and let us know what you thought about Aldo’s performance!

The superfight between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski is going to be huge tomorrow night (Sat., Feb. 11, 2023) at UFC 284 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, and it has attracted some of the biggest names in the sport to the “Land Down Under.” This happens to include UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa who is making a big splash (literally) this week on Aussie soil.

Tuivasa, who is a native of Sydney, Australia, has been making friends and even better memories wherever he goes this week. From fishing with former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira (shown below) to traditional dancing with the Noongar nation, “Bam Bam” has been leaving a lasting impression all over town.

Earlier this week, the heavyweight fighter took his talents to the Indian Ocean and decided to do a full backflip off the side of a boat into the water. It was quite impressive from a fighter of Tuivasa’s size and a friendly reminder that “Bam Bam” may be the coolest heavyweight on the UFC roster today.

Check it out below:

Tuivasa, 29, is currently riding a two-fight losing skid on the heels of knockout losses to Ciryl Gane and Sergei Pavlovich. The Australian native hasn’t competed on his home soil since a submission loss to Sergey Spivak back at UFC 243 in Melbourne. Tuivasa will simply be a bystander this weekend for UFC 284, but fight fans should still expect his patented “Shoey.”

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 284 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 284: “Makhachev vs. Volkanovski” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 284 lineup and bout order click here.

Many have ridiculed Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for a lack of promotion for UFC 284 tomorrow night (Sat., Feb. 11, 2023) live on ESPN+ PPV from inside RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, but mixed martial arts (MMA) analyst Chael Sonnen is directly blaming two main card fighters for not building interest for their own fight.

Sonnen, who knows a thing or two about self promotion and how to sell a MMA fight, doesn’t understand the lack of promotion from Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett leading up to their co-main event interim featherweight title fight at UFC 284. The headlining act between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski is certainly the main attraction, but we’ve heard almost nothing from Rodriguez or Emmett leading into this weekend and Sonnen is not happy.

“Josh Emmett versus Yair Rodríguez is very, very interesting. (But) I realize that they haven’t told anybody they’re fighting,” said Sonnen via YouTube. “Josh and Yair have botched this championship fight more than Ciryl Gane and Francis Ngannou. They have botched this fight more than Robert Whittaker botched his rematch with Israel Adesanya… These guys make Whittaker look like a tactical hard worker in the strategies of fight promotion.”

UFC president Dana White has assured fight fans that the promotion has done its job in marketing UFC 284, but nobody really knows for sure how much effort went into it. While Makhachev vs. Volkanovski is a massive super fight that doesn’t come around too often this card is not the biggest of the year nor is it going to break any viewership records (except maybe in Australia).

That’s why it’s important for other main card fighters like Rodriguez and Emmett to promote their matchup anyway they can. That could be done through social media, interviews, videos, and so forth. They’ve remained relatively quiet over the past few months and that isn’t sitting well with the “Bad Guy.”

“They have done nothing, they have told nobody that they’re fighting… They suck at promotion to an extent that a rhetorical master like myself can’t even begin to explain. I’ve gotta give them a whack for that,” Sonnen added. “In spite of that, it’s a great match.”

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 284 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 284: “Makhachev vs. Volkanovski” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 284 lineup and bout order click here.