5 fights to make after UFC 284: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski
UFC 284 is in the books, and it’ll probably go down as one of the more memorable events of 2023 when all is said and done.
Following UFC 284, then, what should come next for some of the event’s biggest winners? As usual, there are plenty of options. From big-time title fights to bouts that could move some of these fighters into contention, the promotion’s matchmakers have plenty to consider.
Here are five fights to make following UFC 284: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski.
#5. UFC flyweight bout: Kleydson Rodrigues vs. Sumudaerji
One of the more impressive fighters on the undercard at UFC 284 was flyweight prospect Kleydson Rodrigues.
The Brazilian needed less than a minute to dispatch opponent Shannon Ross via knockout. While the win was his first in the octagon following a debut loss to CJ Vergara last year, he looked every bit the potential title contender at 125 pounds, so who should be next for him?
Assuming he wants to stick around at the weight after he missed the mark by 2 pounds this weekend, it’d probably be worth pushing ‘KR’ into a clash with a ranked opponent.
One fighter who might make sense as his next foe is Sumudaerji. ‘The Tibetan Eagle’ is currently ranked at No.13 in the division, and would definitely give Rodrigues a sterner test than Ross did.
Sumudaerji lost his most recent bout to Matt Schnell, but it was a thriller that he was winning early on. Prior to that, he’d won three bouts in a row in the octagon.
One of the craziest comebacks EVER 😱
Matt Schnell somehow turns the tables on Sumudaerji as @dc_mma loses his mind!
Incredible scenes at #UFCLongIsland! https://t.co/soflxR1SiS
More to the point, the Chinese fighter is a highly exciting striker who would almost certainly take the fight to Rodrigues, meaning this bout might guarantee fireworks.
Overall, if the promotion were to put this one together, it’d probably be an entertaining fight regardless of the winner and it’d give Rodrigues a chance to climb into the rankings. Therefore, it would make a lot of sense.
#4. UFC heavyweight bout: Justin Tafa vs. Chris Daukaus
Another fighter who won at UFC 284 and probably deserves a shot at a ranked opponent next time out is Justin Tafa. The big heavyweight needed just over a minute to turn out the lights on Parker Porter, putting him on a two-fight win streak and moving his overall record to 3-3.
WALK OFF KNOCKOUT BY JUSTIN TAFA 💥
#UFC284 https://t.co/0IQoRRIjhX
Tafa is clearly a limited fighter, and his losses to Jared Vanderaa and Carlos Felipe still stick in the mind as being highly disappointing. However, his fellow Australian Tai Tuivasa also suffered similar losses early in his octagon career, but recovered to become a genuine title contender.
Can Tafa do the same? It’s hard to say, but he definitely has a similar hard-hitting style to Tuivasa. However, we won’t learn whether he can or not if he continues to fight low-level foes like Porter. So, a viable foe for him next time out could be Chris Daukaus.
The Philadelphia former policeman is still ranked at No.12 in the heavyweight division, but he’s lost his last three bouts, all by KO or TKO. Sure, Daukaus is better-rounded than Tafa, but with the power of ‘Bad Man’, it’s equally likely that the Australian would be able to score another knockout.
Given that all four of Daukaus’ own UFC wins have come via KO or TKO, though, either way this bout would probably produce a wild brawl with a brutal finish, making it well worth booking.
#3. UFC welterweight bout: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Vicente Luque
The spotlight was on welterweight prospect Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 284 like never before. Not only was he looking for his fourth win in the octagon, but he was also fighting in front of his hometown crowd, making him come off as a major star.
Thankfully, the pressure didn’t get to him at all. Della Maddalena destroyed Randy Brown in the first round, hurting him with strikes before submitting him with a rear-naked choke, all in under three minutes.
#UFC284That makes it 4-0 in the UFC, ALL FINISHES for Jack Della Maddalena 🔥 #UFC284 https://t.co/jODHStIHV0
Based on this win, it’s clear that Maddalena is ready for an elite-level opponent next, and so one foe who might make sense for him could be Vicente Luque. ‘The Silent Assassin’ is currently ranked at No.9 in the division, and prior to 2022, he looked like a genuine title contender at 170 pounds.
However, last year saw him suffer back-to-back losses to Belal Muhammad and Geoff Neal, the latter of whom knocked the Brazilian out violently.
Essentially, Luque is a remarkably dangerous fighter who can finish his foes from any position – he has 14 octagon wins to his name with just one coming via decision – but he’s also wild enough to be vulnerable.
Would Della Maddalena be able to take the fight to someone as dangerous as Luque as he did with Brown this weekend? It’d be fascinating to see him try, and it’d be risky too due to the finishing skills of ‘The Silent Assassin’.
Overall, this fight could easily headline one of the promotion’s Fight Night shows in the near future.
#2. UFC lightweight title: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
Islam Makhachev was probably this weekend’s biggest winner, as he narrowly outpointed Alexander Volkanovski to defend his UFC lightweight title despite being in hostile territory.
The big question now, of course, is who could be next for the Dagestani? The lightweight division is packed with talent, but many of the top-ranked fighters are already booked.
Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor are set to face each other at some point in 2023, but it’s unlikely that their bout will happen until at least late summer. Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush, meanwhile, appear set to to face off in May, while Justin Gaethje is booked against Rafael Fiziev in March.
The timing of that fight could work in terms of producing the next top contender, but there’s one big-name fighter who is available right now, and that’s Dustin Poirier.
‘The Diamond’ is coming off a huge win over Chandler in November, he’s still ranked at No.2 behind only Makhachev and Oliveira, and he’s also one of the promotion’s biggest draws.
VIOLENCE DELIVERED 🤩
As advertised, Dustin Poirier v Michael Chandler was everything we wanted and more 👏
#UFC281 https://t.co/zh1NpEL5sN
A fight between Makhachev and Poirier would undoubtedly bring in some serious money, but it’d also be a fascinating clash of styles. It’d be particularly intriguing as we could find out whether ‘The Diamond’ could have more success against Makhachev than he did against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Given that Makhachev didn’t seem to take all that much damage this weekend, then we could well see this fight as early as May or June.
#1. UFC featherweight title: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez
The biggest fight that can be immediately penciled in after UFC 284 is a featherweight title unification bout between titleholder Alexander Volkanovski and newly crowned interim champion Yair Rodriguez.
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𝙀𝙓𝘾𝙄𝙏𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙇𝙊𝘼𝘿 💯%
Just how good is Alex Volkanovski v Yair Rodriguez going to be⁉️🤯
#UFC284 https://t.co/Lw03NWoQNg
While Volkanovski lost his lightweight title fight with Islam Makhachev this weekend, it’s fair to say that he walked out of the bout with his head held high. ‘Alexander the Great’ pushed the Dagestani harder than anyone had in years and a number of observers felt he deserved the nod.
Rodriguez, on the other hand, picked up the biggest win of his career when he submitted Josh Emmett to claim the interim title. ‘El Pantera’ looked excellent in the fight, both on the feet and on the ground, and has probably the most dynamic striking in the featherweight division.
Does the Mexican really stand a chance against the brilliant Australian, though? It’s arguable that nobody has ever outstruck Volkanovski in the octagon, and Rodriguez isn’t likely to outgrapple him in the way that Makhachev did.
‘Alexander the Great’ will undoubtedly be the favorite, but a fighter as explosive and reckless as Rodriguez can never be counted out of a fight.
Therefore, this bout could turn out to be one of the best of 2023, and it’s one to look forward to for sure.