Islam Makhachev knocks out Alexander Volkanovski in rematch - ESPN

ABU DHABI — The first fight between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski in February was a classic, five-round affair that saw both men enjoy a lot of success. The second meeting, at UFC 294 on Saturday inside Etihad Arena, belonged solely to Makhachev.

Makhachev (25-1) defended his 155-pound lightweight championship in emphatic fashion, as he knocked out featherweight champion Volkanovski (26-3) with a left head kick at 3:06 of the opening round. It is Makhachev's 13th consecutive win, which ties him for third all time in UFC history, three shy of Anderson Silva's mark of 16 in a row. It marked the first time Volkanovski has been finished in a bout since his fourth fight back in 2013.

The result was impressive, even considering Volkanovski took the fight on 11 days' notice. Makhachev was supposed to fight Charles Oliveira, but Oliveira withdrew due to a facial cut suffered in training.

«I showed him the low kick, body kick then I just changed to the high kick,» Makhachev said. «This is what we trained the last couple months for Oliveira and nothing changed, same thing for Volkanovski. I want to say thank you to [Volkanovski], he is a real champion. He is going to fight all five rounds and never give up. He is a real champion.»

Volkanovski, of Australia, still holds his 145-pound championship. The UFC offered him the opportunity to become a two-weight champion twice in 2023, thanks to his five title defenses over the past three years. Despite the loss, the 35-year-old expressed in his postfight comments a desire to stay busy and continue defending his featherweight title.

«Obviously, it was a great setup, a good kick,» Volkanovski said. «It hurts me. He's a great champion. What do you do? I back myself every single