BREAKING: Drinking limit imposed on UFC 284 crowd to control anti-social behavior
Fans attending UFC 284 in Perth, Australia have been hit with a drinks ban after local police vowed to crackdown on anti-social behavior.
UFC 284 is set to be headlined by featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski as he takes on Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title. The Australian is vying to achieve double-champ status as the bout also pits the No.1 and No.2 ranked pound-for-pound fighters against one another. The winner will not only take home the 155lb strap, but also secure themselves as the No.1 P4P fighter in the organization.
According to PerthNow, a record crowd of 15,500 is set to arrive at the RAC Arena on Sunday for the event. The PPV is set to end at 2pm local time, with Perth Police believing a four-drink limit will help impact the rowdy crowd as they return to the streets.
A spokesperson for the police said:
"The WA Police Force are aware of this event and will have a significant and highly visible presence in Perth,” a spokesperson said. Ultimately, this presence is in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the West Australian community."
“We will be taking a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour at and in proximity to the event, and will be ready to respond swiftly and decisively to any unlawful activities.”
Kevin Lee gives his prediction for UFC 284's main-event
Earlier this month, Kevin Lee announced that he had returned to the UFC after a brief stint at Khabib Nurmagomedov's Eagle FC in 2022.
Lee, a former interim title challenger, weighed in on UFC 284's main-event when he spoke to ESPN MMA's Marc Raimondi. According to the 30-year-old, Islam Makhachev must take Alexander Volkanovski more seriously than any fighter he has before:
"I think that Volkanovski is a live dog. I think he can pose some real serious threats. I think he can really challnege Islam in ways that he ain't necessarily been challenged before. I think when you're going against a smaller guy like that, it's harder to track them down. It's harder to pin them so if it gets out of that first two rounds, I see Volkanovski starting to rack up some points."
He added:
"He's extremely experienced, espeically in a five round fight. He's had Max Holloway throw a thousand God d**n punches at him and he never really went away. He never backed off. So, I think it'll be a tough fight. I don't know. He's a live dog. I'm not going to say who's going to win or lose, but Islam better be taking him very serious."
Catch Kevin Lee's interview here [Comments from the 13:30 mark]: