History is on the line when the UFC returns to Australia on Saturday.
Friday, the UFC released the UFC 284 cold open video. The card features a lightweight title fight between champion Islam Makhachev (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) and featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski (25-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC).
Makhachev will put his title on the line for the first time; he hasn’t lost in more than seven years. Volkanovski, who will go after a second concurrent title, hasn’t lost in nearly 10 years.
Plus, there’s an interim featherweight title fight between Yair Rodriguez (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) and Josh Emmett (18-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) with Volkanovski on a quest for a second belt at lightweight.
The video, with actor and regular UFC voice-over narrator Ron Perlman, goes heavy on the two title fights for the promotion’s first visit to Perth in five years.
Check out the UFC 284 cold open video above.
UFC 284 takes place Saturday at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
- Champ Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski – for lightweight title
- Yair Rodriguez vs. Josh Emmett – for interim featherweight title
- Randy Brown vs. Jack Della Maddalena
- Parker Porter vs. Justin Tafa
- Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
- Modestas Bukauskas vs. Tyson Pedro
- Melsik Baghdasaryan vs. Josh Culibao
- Kleydson Rodrigues vs. Shannon Ross
- Jamie Mullarkey vs. Francisco Prado
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
- Jack Jenkins vs. Don Shainis
- Loma Lookboonmee vs. Elise Reed
- Blake Bilder vs. Shane Young
- Elves Brenner vs. Zubaira Tukhugov
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.
Video: UFC 284 cold open highlights Islam Makhachev’s dominance, Alexander Volkanovski’s challenge