UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev defeated the top ranked pound-for-pound fighter Alexander Volkanovski, but it wasn’t enough to get the top ranking.
When the new UFC Rankings were released on Tuesday, Volkanovski remained in the top spot while Makhachev remained ranked No. 2.
Volkanovski is the featherweight champion. He went up to the lightweight division to take on Makhachev in the UFC 284 main event on Feb. 12 in a rare matchup between top two ranked pound-for-pound fighters in the world. It was a closely contested bout, but Makhachev got the victory by unanimous decision.
Volkanovski thought he won three of the five rounds after viewing the fight. UFC broadcaster thought Volkanovski won the fight while watching it live. Upon arriving home in Dagestan, Makhachev to the media that he didn’t ‘expect justice’ after winning the fight.
“The road home is always good, no matter how long you fly,” Makhachev told Russian media upon arrival back in Dagestan (h/t Nurmagomedov MMA School and Za.Khabiba). “About the rankings, I never expected justice and still don’t because we saw on the example of our other fighters, [Magomed] Ankalaev, Petr Yan, saw the attitude towards us always.
“The main thing, I flew 13,000 kilometers there, defeated their champion. They raised my hand and with a raised head, confidently with a belt flew home.”
Yan lost a very controversial split decision to Sean O’Malley at UFC 280 in October. The reference to Ankalaev was to Ankalaev’ split draw at UFC 282 in December for the light heavyweight championship.
Islam Makhachev reacts to pound-for-pound rankings snub
