Alexander "The Great" Volkanovski is the reigning UFC featherweight champion and considered their official #1 pound-for-pound (P4P) fighter, which is to say the overall best in the organization. He has a record of 25-1, 12-0 in the UFC and in his last fight, demolished all-time great Max Holloway in a way nobody had done before.

His opponent, Islam Makhachev is the reigning UFC lightweight champion and official #2 pound-for-pound (P4P) fighter. He has a record of 23-1, 12-1 in the UFC and in his last fight, won the championship by demolishing Charles Oliveira, at that time, on the hottest streak in MMA.

Together, they make up the main event of UFC 284.

To highlight just how unique this fight is, not only is it only the eighth time in UFC history that divisional champions faced off with the heavier weight class championship on the line, it's the only time in UFC history that the top two P4P fighters have fought.

And from the beginning, it lived up to the billing.

Volkanovski is the smaller man - 168cm to 178cm - and so, for him, the biggest issue was closing the range and to do so he used immaculate footwork. He was constantly moving and regularly zig-zagging back-and-forth in front of Makhachev, preventing the 155lb champ from planting his feet and fighting back.

Not only that but Volkanovski tended to attack in a mode reminiscent of diminutive Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull, hanging back out of Makhachev's range and then darting forward, blitzing with a quick combination then darting back out just as quickly, ensuring he doesn't leave a limb hanging for the sambo master to grab onto.

This worked for most of the first round - then Makhachev figured him out and lured him against the cage. Without the space to maneuver, Volkanovski got into a firefight and Makhachev not only got him to the mat but jumped on his back, ending the round with a neck crank. This was very reminiscent to the one his best friend and former coach Khabib Nurmagomedov beat Conor McGregor.

This pattern of Volkanovski leaping in with punches and kicks, and Makhachev hunting for opportunities to drag him to the ground continued in round 2 and into round 3 - as did the opposite. Genius striker Volkanovski regularly found himself getting tagged by Makhachev's counter-kickboxing, but more importantly Makhachev's smothering ground game was repeatedly denied by Volkanovski's powerful defensive wrestling.

It was three rounds of world class, high level, competitive MMA - a genuine champion versus champion contest - and then, in round 4, a moment hubris.

Volkanovski's confidence had been building throughout the first 15 minutes. Towards he start of the fourth frame, he took it too far and seemed to be taunting Makhachev's cornermen. During this momentary lapse of focus, he threw a kick undisguised. Makhachev caught it, snapped him to the mat, then locked in a body triangle.

This was pure Nurmagomedov-style sambo; it was all about fatigue and frustration. According to UFCstats.com, Makhachev held Volkanovski down for 3:25, taking his time with varying attempts at chokes and neck cranks. Pressed up against the cage, Volkanovski couldn't get out, yet he still managed to punch over his shoulder and into his opponent's face over 40 times, busting him open in the process.

Defense, however, isn't part of UFC scoring - it's considered its own reward - so the fourth was the only obvious round in the fight so far. Knowing it could easily swing the bout in Makhachev's favor, Volkanovski entered the fifth and final round with a head of steam.

No longer popping combinations, he was swinging for the fences. While he always landed with something - typically his debilitating inside leg kick - he equally as often got hit flush with Makhachev's counter left. Then, with barely 60 seconds remaining, Volkanovski's right hook bullseyed on Makhache's chin.

Volkanovski pounced and started laying in ground-and-pound as Makhachev struggled to survive. As momentum swung the Aussie's way, the bell rang and the fight was over.

The judges scored it 47-48, 47-48 and 46-49, awarding it to Islam Makhachev by unanimous decision.

The Russian kept his belt, became the first man since 2013 to beat Alexander Volkanovski, and in doing so, is now UFC's P4P #1. But the featherweight champion made him look mortal, look beatable - Adriano Martins couldn't even do this with his flash KO stoppage - and while it's not an official win, it is still a truly remarkable achievement.

[Header: Referee Mac Goddard raises Islam Makhachev's hand in victory following his win over Alexander Volkanovski in the lightweight championship main event of UFC 284 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on February 12, 2023. /Zuffa]