The stakes went even higher as Volkanovski, the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter at the time, put his ranking on the line against Makhachev, then No. 2 on the list. Tension and anticipation were high, and the champions delivered one of the best fights of the year. For five rounds, they dueled. Volkanovski held his own in the grappling while Makhachev found his fair share of success on the feet, dropping the Australian on one occasion.
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Volkanovski arguably had the moment of the fight, however, stunning Makhachev with about a minute to go and finishing the fight with a flurry of ground-and-pound. Despite that, Makhachev would take the razor-close decision on the scorecards.
The fight provided a window into Makhachev’s own grit and heart but also added to Volkanovski’s own lore. It would later set-up a rematch with its own dramatics eight months later in Abu Dhabi.