Islam Makhachev defended his UFC title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski

Perhaps the main tournament of the UFC, the main promotion in mixed martial arts (MMA), in 2023, held in Abu Dhabi, was crowned with a striking victory of its only Russian champion Islam Makhachev. Makhachev defended his lightweight title (up to 70 kg), defeating the famous Australian Alexander Volkanovski for the second time in a row. But if in February he defeated him with great difficulty, now he knocked him out with a kick in the first round.

The main part of this grandiose show began with an emergency. Magomed Ankalaev has been close to the champion title in the light heavyweight (up to 93 kg) for quite some time, but in December he could not take it, having completed a draw fight with Jan Blachowicz, and now he did not receive contender status due to a stupid mistake.

Ankalaev’s fight with American Johnny Walker lasted less than four minutes. Moreover, there was a feeling that, unlike the previous performance of the Russian fighter, which was very insipid, this one would turn out to be peppered to the brim. But it was not possible to verify the observation. After a cunning trick by Walker, which showed that he was in terribly pain after Ankalaev’s hit that didn’t actually take place, and an attempt to catch a distracted opponent, the Russian, who did not fall for the trick, performed a takedown.

And after that, he didn’t have the patience to wait for Johnny Walker to get up on both feet so he could deliver his intended knee to the head. Ankalaev carried it out while Walker was leaning on the floor with his knee. And this is already a prohibited blow.

Johnny Walker, having already talked with the doctor, made it clear with his entire appearance that he did not care about the shock he had experienced, that he was ready to continue. But the referee, having learned the doctors’ recommendations, stopped the fight. Both opponents protested against this decision. Moreover, so furiously that a whole squad of security officers, as well as UFC head Dana White, came into the octagon to calm them down. In general, the fight was declared not to take place amid dissatisfied buzz from the public.

In the next fight, a native of Chechnya, Khamzat Chimaev, who until recently represented Sweden, and now seems to have moved to the UAE, maintaining an impeccable track record, won his 13th consecutive victory in mixed martial arts. And she was, of course, more valuable than everyone else.

Chimaev was opposed by the Nigerian Kamaru Usman, practically a living legend of MMA, an outstanding fighter – albeit already at veteran age, even if he lost his last two fights, but entered this one, despite the fact that just two weeks ago wasn’t listed on the list of tournament participants, but still terribly dangerous, insanely cool. And Usman surprised. For the first of three rounds, he endured Chimaev hanging on his back and punching, unimaginably enduring the torture.

In the second, he already switched the fight to the mode he needed – more like kickboxing than wrestling. And in the third, he actually dragged Chimaev into his favorite territory – into a desperate chopping block.

It was a great sight. Chimaev had a hard time, but he found the strength to take his opponent to the ground literally at a critical moment for himself. Maybe it brought him success (two judges gave Khamzat Chimaev the win, and the third gave him a draw) along with the status of a contender for the world middleweight title (up to 84 kg).

But the real shock was the fight that capped the show. The repeated clash between Russian Islam Makhachev, lightweight champion (up to 70 kg), and Australian Alexander Volkanovski, welterweight champion (up to 66 kg), also formed unexpectedly, due to the fact that in October starred the injured Charles Oliveira, with whom Makhachev was supposed to fight, waited, remembering collision past, in February. Tough, almost equal, with a chance for everyone. Makhachev prevailed in it with a minimal advantage, and there were still a lot of questions about which of the two fighters was better.

The new match left no questions. Islam Makhachev opened it with a high-kick – a kick to the head area, which didn’t work out very well.

From the outside it seemed like something absolutely unnecessary, a blow for show, because it is well known that Makhachev’s trump card is fight. But at the end of this tense round, the Russian suddenly fired a high kick again. And this time not for show. Makhachev’s shin slammed into Volkanovski’s face. And a moment later, the Australian, who had collapsed on the floor, was already trying to survive under the cannonade of strong blows that rained down on him from above. And, it is clear that he did not survive – the fight ended with an early triumph for Makhachev, after which the UFC is unlikely, as in February, to risk not placing him above Volkanovski in its ranking of the strongest fighters, regardless of category.

Alexey Dospehov