It’s a rare moment in mixed martial arts history when two champions square off against each other but that’s the exact scenario headlining UFC 284 in February.
Ahead of the showdown between UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, the new poster for the event teases the epic encounter that will headline the promotion’s return to Australia.
It was just seconds after Makhachev claimed the 155-pound title with a dominant win over Charles Oliveira that he was joined in the cage by Volkanovski, who had been calling for an opportunity to face the winner. As a four-time defending champion, Volkanovski believed he had done enough to jump up a weight class with a chance to become a two-division champion.
Makhachev was more than happy to accept that challenge and he’ll also travel into Volkanovski’s home country in an attempt to defend his belt for the first time.
The new UFC 284 poster also features the co-main event, which pits Josh Emmett against Yair Rodriguez in a fight that will determine a new interim featherweight champion.
With Volkanovski moving up to lightweight for his own title fight opportunity, the featherweight division will keep moving with Emmett and Rodriguez getting a chance to own a piece of the championship in his absence.
Check out the new poster for UFC 284 with the card set to go down on Feb. 11 from Perth, Australia.
