At the UFC 294 event in Abu Dhabi, Islam Makhachev of Russia defeated Alexander Volkanovski via first-round knockout to win the lightweight title. It was the Australian fighter’s first defeat via knockout in more than ten years.
After Volkanovski, the reigning featherweight champion, lost by decision to Makhachev in February when they fought for the lightweight title, he moved up a class after Makhachev’s original opponent, Charles Oliveira, withdrew 12 days ago.
Volkanovski had not experienced a knockout since May 2013, the day he lost to Corey Nelson in his fourth professional mixed martial arts match.