The long wait is finally over. Perth, Australia will lay witness to UFC history as Pound-for-Pound No. 1 and No. 2 will square off for the Lightweight (155lb) Championship of the World and No. 1 P4P ranking. No. 1 Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski will test himself in capturing a second belt over No. 2 and Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev. Volkanovski will seek to become the fifth fighter in UFC history with champ-champ status as he looks to reign over both the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions. Islam Makhachev will look to attain his ultimate goal of World Pound-for-Pound No. 1 and retain his Lightweight Championship. Don't miss this historic matchup from UFC 284! Check out our UFC odds series for our Makhachev-Volkanovski prediction and pick.

Alexander Volkanovski is 25-1 overall. He's never lost in the UFC at 12-0. He won the featherweight belt in 2019 against Max Holloway and has been champion ever since, defending the belt (dominantly) four times since then. Cleaning out the division and cementing himself as the featherweight GOAT, Volk will look to challenge himself in moving up a division. The pride of Australia and former Rugby player will have a tough test as he'll be the significantly smaller man in this matchup, a test he's been facing for most of his life. Volkanovski stands 5'6″ with a 71.5 -inch reach.

Islam Makhachev is 23-1 overall. He's 12-1 in the UFC with his lone loss coming in 2015. Makhachev rose to prominence as Khabib Nurmagomedov's main training partner and prodigal student of the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Makhachev defeated Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title in his last fight and showed the world that he is the next unstoppable Dagestani force in MMA. His ultimate goal is to be ranked the World's P4P No. 1, which he'll definitely gain if he can beat Volkanovski tonight. Fighting in his home division, he'll have the upper hand as the bigger man in this one, as the betting line suggests. Makhachev stands 5'10” with a 70.5-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

UFC 284 Odds: Islam Makhachev-Alexander Volkanovski Odds

Islam Makhachev: -390

Alexander Volkanovski: +310

Over (3.5) rounds: -118

Under (3.5) rounds: -108

How to Watch Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski

TV: UFC Pay-Per-View

Stream: ESPN+ UFC PPV, UFC Fight Pass

Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)

*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Islam Makhachev Will Win

Khabib has been saying it for years now; Islam Makhachev will be the world's number one fighter, regardless of weight class. The 31-year old Dagestani wrestler has now hit his prime as an athlete and will wreck havoc in the UFC for years to come. Much like Khabib, Islam drapes his opponents like a wet blanket and suffocates them with his wrestling. If he can gain control of one of your wrists, it may as well be a done-deal as he'll either strangle you or beat your face to a pulp. He's also a huge lightweight who cuts a tremendous amount to make 155. Once he's rehydrated, Islam will come into the fight weighing closer to 180.

In his interviews this week, Islam repeatedly said he'd like to win with a KO/TKO. When he faced Charles Oliveira, he predicted a win by submission, which of course he delivered. He'll have a sizable disadvantage on the feet as Volkanovski is the much better striker. However, Islam's striking game continues to improve and becomes more dangerous each time out, as we saw in the Oliveira fight. It will be interesting to see how long Islam decides to stand with Volk before shooting for a takedown. Will he try to knock him out on the feet? Or will we see a ground-and-pound clinic, reminiscent of Khabib/McGregor. Either way, Makhachev will have to constantly be aware of Volkanovski's relentless striking. If he can avoid a continuous jab, he'll eventually be too much for Volk.

Why Alexander Volkanovski Will Win

Alexander Volkanovski is about as complete as a mixed martial artist as you can get, which is indicative of his world ranking. He's durable, he's quick, he's powerful, and he's a genius in the octagon with an unbreakable mindset. Volkanovski could win a title on sheer will alone, something he may have to do as he goes up a weight class against his toughest opponent to date. Volk will look to use is constantly evolving striking in this one as he'll have a big advantage. He seems to look faster and faster each time out, darting around the octagon and hitting opponents with stunning shots throughout the whole fight. He's also incredibly strong and hard to bring down. On the ground, Volkanovski is well-versed in offensive wrestling and can chase submissions as well.

His biggest disadvantage here will be his size. Gaining 10 pounds and fighting closer to his natural weight, it will be interesting to see how the added weight affects his mobility. It shouldn't be too much of an issue since he'll be gaining strength in his hands and power in his shots with the extra pounds. The only way Volkanovski can win this fight convincingly is if he keeps it standing and outstrikes Islam for five rounds. Moving up in weight class with this much discrepancy hasn't worked well in the past (see Adesanya vs. Blachowicz) as the bigger fighter can usually just hold the smaller fight down. Volkanovski will have to be extremely active in the wrestling exchanges and avoid being held down by Makhachev. It'll be an incredible story if he can pull it off.

Final Islam Makhachev-Alexander Volkanovski Prediction & Pick

I think this fight will be competitive for the first two rounds as the fighters feel each other out. Volkanovski will be extremely tough to put away, but I think this is an eventuality for Islam Makhachev to win this. I hate the betting line, but it's reasonable given the circumstances. My best bet here is to find an alternate total and bet OVER 2.5 rounds. I think this fight goes deep and Islam eventually submits Volk in the late rounds as my prediction.

Final Islam Makhachev-Alexander Volkanovski Prediction & Pick: OVER 2.5 rounds (-170); Islam Makhachev (-390), by Submission (+130)