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On Saturday night, the MMA leader returned for its latest pay-per-view event, UFC 284.
Having opened its account for the year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UFC presented its sophomore PPV showcase of 2023 live from Perth. And in what marked the promotion’s first long-haul trip to Australia since UFC 243 in 2019, a main event worthy of the occasion topped the billing.
Looking to become the latest resident at champ-champ village was featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski, who sought to make the lightweight reign of Islam Makhachev a short one. In the meantime, 145-pound contenders Yair Rodríguez and Josh Emmett hoped to insert themselves as a placeholder ahead of the Aussie’s divisional return.
Prior to the two battles for gold, a number of notable names and exciting prospects were in action, including welterweight striker Jack Della Maddalena, promising light heavyweight Jimmy Crute, and debutant Jack Jenkins.
So, with historical stakes in the main event, interim implications in the co-headliner, and Aussie favorites looking to impress, did Saturday’s card provide an apt return Down Under? Let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC 284.
Some honorable mentions: Zubaira Tukhugov’s continuing weight struggles (negative), Jack Jenkins and Don Shainis’ entertaining preliminary scrap (positive), Kleydson Rodrigues’ rapid knockout (positive), and Justin Tafa’s walk-off KO (positive).
Righto! Onto the main course.
Negative – Field-ed The Wrong Judge…
30-27 Brener. That’s a scorecard.
A warning was set early at UFC 284 — do not leave it to the scorecards, especially if Evan Field is one of the three sat cageside.
The biggest underdog opened the card with an upset victory, but it wasn’t without controversy. Debutant Elves Brener ultimately exited the cage with a debut triumph, but you’d be hard-pressed to find someone recognizing it as a win.
After going the full 15 minutes against Zubaira Tukhugov, whose weight miss despite moving up from featherweight to lightweight provided another negative, Brener secured a 29-28 and 30-27 scorecard for the split decision. Had both granted a round to the Russian, perhaps the outrage would have been less widespread.
One thing I would say is, Tukhugov’s performance in rounds one and three weren’t emphatic or convincing enough to make me think there’s zero case for 29-28 Brener, although given that all 18 media members who submitted scorecards on MMA Decisions favored the Russian, perhaps I’m trying to channel my inner Switzerland too much.
Either way, on first view, a three-round whitewash for the Brazilian seems indefensible. The fact Field gave Brener round two alone should have probably warranted a quick escort out of the arena.
And from the only man who correctly scored Volkan Oezdemir vs. Aleksandar Raki? in 2019 too. Oh Evan, how the mighty have fallen.
Welcome back to Australia!
Positive – A Muay Thai Champ Evolves
The first finish of the night came in an unlikely fashion as longtime striker Loma Lookboonmee displayed a new wrinkle to her game that will no doubt make her an even more intriguing name to follow at strawweight moving forward.
The Thai 27-year-old transitioned to MMA in 2016 after a successful career as a Muay Thai practitioner. Among her accolades are three gold medals at the IFMA World Muay Thai Championships and the 48kg top prize at the 2016 Asian Beach Games.
Prior to UFC 284, Lookboonmee had displayed her striking acumen in wins over Jinh Yu Frey and Sam Hughes, but had her grappling deficiencies exposed against Lupita Godinez. Having apparently heard the cries of, ‘She’ll be extremely dangerous if she can develop her ground game’, she came out and proved to have done exactly that.
After a takedown attempt in round one ended in a reversal and Lookboonmee on her back, you’d have been forgiven for expecting her to return to the renowned kicking game that left Elise Reed’s leg a nice shade of red. Instead, she dumped the American, applied two hooks, and submitted her via rear-naked choke.
Because, of course?
Lookboonmee’s post-fight joy would suggest that method of victory was massively desired. Should it signal the start of the Thai fighter’s well-rounded iteration, we’ll all be beneficiaries as viewers for her future outings.
Positive – A Standout Aussie Win
Heading into UFC 284, one of the names I was most excited to see back in action was Melsik Baghdasaryan. But while I was looking forward to seeing the Armenian go to work on the feet, it was Joshua Culibao who thrilled the crowd and those of us watching from home.
Up to that point, Jamie Mullarkey and Jack Jenkins had emerged victorious in front of their home fans. But the manner of Culibao’s triumph certainly made it the most notable Aussie success through seven fights.
After a tentative first round and the adversity of a fairly brutal low blow, “Kuya” battled back in round two, capitalizing on an opportunity to grapple before locking in a rear-naked choke for the tap.
With that, Culibao added the first submission win to his record. And with Lookboonmee achieving the same feat a few fights prior, some jiu-jitsu was certainly in the Perth air.
Positive – Redemption
The featured preliminary bout between Tyson Pedro and Modestas Bukauskas may not have delivered the fireworks many were expecting, but it still concluded with a positive — the return of “The Baltic Gladiator.”
The Lithuanian-born Brit was released off the back of a three-fight skid in 2021, but the numbers certainly don’t tell the full story. As well as there being no shame in a knockout loss to Jimmy Crute, Bukauskas narrowly fell on the wrong side of a split decision against Micha? Oleksiejczuk before suffering a severe knee injury courtesy of a Khalil Rountree Jr. oblique kick.
But after recovering, Bukauskas immediately returned to form in Cage Warriors, winning two in impressive fashion and regaining the light heavyweight title in the process. With that, he was ready to prove he belongs in the Octagon in Perth.
Across three rounds, “The Baltic Gladiator” was seemingly one step ahead on the feet, and while not massively active, put in a mightily impressive performance considering he only got the call to cross the world a couple of weeks ago.
Bukauskas is back, and the light heavyweight division is better for it.
Positive – Finally!
I could almost have shed a tear when Marc Goddard deducted a point from Alonzo Menifield.
All the pain of past fence grabs has led us to this. I’d began to lose count of the number of times I listed an official letting blatant and fight-changing fence grabs go unpunished, but at UFC 284, Goddard did what the likes of Mark Smith and Chris Tognoni usually fail to.
In the final round of Jimmy Crute and Alonzo Menifield’s main card opener, the latter clearly used an illegal fence grip to prevent being taken to the ground. The English referee took the appropriate action and explained it well to the American as a point was taken.
But while it only feels right to lead with that point here, the overall positive was the fight itself. Not only did Crute and Menifield open their bout with a round of the year contender, but they delivered a three-round back-and-forth war that will no doubt be in the conversation for 2023’s best barnburners come December.
Although the Australia appeared out on his feet at times, he somehow stayed in it, and even rallied back to secure dominant positions in the final round. That, along with the deserved point deduction on the side of “Atomic,” ultimately helped him resurrect a draw.
While the UFC 284 card may have opened with some controversy, the PPV portion of the event began in a much better fashion.
Positive – A Rising Star Thrives At Home
It was hard to imagine Jack Della Maddalena’s stock being any higher following a breakout year in 2022. As it turns out, there was another level for the 26-year-old, one that he unlocked close to home at UFC 284.
The Perth native got one of, if not the, loudest reactions of the night, and he repaid his compatriots’ support by delivering an emphatic and fast finish inside the Octagon.
Having knocked out Pete Rodriguez, Ramazan Emeev, and Danny Roberts inside one frame last year, Della Maddalena added the name of Randy Brown to his group of first-round victims inside the UFC.
But while he’d stopped his opening three UFC foes on the feet, the Aussie showed his versatility by latching onto Brown’s neck and submitting him after initially face-planting “Rude Boy” with a looping right hook.
Having breezed through what was certainly his toughest test to date, there can be no doubt about Della Maddalena’s potential on the sport’s biggest stage. With that, it’s time to give the entertaining striker a ranked name.
Positive – Flawless
There aren’t many more entertaining to watch than Yair Rodríguez, and on Saturday night, he looked better than ever.
At UFC 284, the Mexican neutralized the power of Josh Emmett with a perfect display. From the first second, “El Pantera” appeared to puzzle the American with his wide array of kicks, something that was evident after a couple of clean body shots almost folded him à la his compatriot Brandon Moreno last July.
While Emmett found success in top position towards the end of round one, Rodríguez showed clear threat off his back — a foreshadow for how the fight would come to an end the following stanza.
Although a flying knee that resulted in him being put on his back may have had some questioning the Mexican’s tactics, Rodríguez made it abundantly clear that he’s dangerous wherever the fight goes, locking in a tight triangle choke for the submission victory.
Many men would have lofted the gold in the air and set their sights immediately on Alexander Volkanovski in the back, but Rodríguez refrained, noting he didn’t want to interfere with the Aussie’s pre-fight preparation.
If that doesn’t show the mindset of a man who deserves championship glory, I don’t know what does.
Positive – It Delivers
How satisfying is it when a truly massive fight delivers in spades?
Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski was billed as a historic champion vs. champion superfight and was widely seen as the biggest UFC matchup in a long time, and it played out as such. Across five rounds, the pair went to war with the highest possible stakes.
While he didn’t leave with the lightweight gold, it was certainly a close run thing for Volkanovski. By and large, the Australian proved his pre-fight confidence right, consistently defending takedowns and even reversing some positions himself.
It was almost poetic, then, that Makhachev found success on the feet, which ultimately helped him retain the title. That meant both men were left surprised at the strength of their opponent in the realms they’d initially doubted their skills in.
The end of the bout, which came after a Volkanovski-led round that really threw up some debate over the scorecards, arrived too soon for my liking. From minute one to minute 25, my nerves never settled and I really didn’t want it to end.
Alas, it is over and both men will go their separate ways to rule over their respective divisions. But fingers crossed their paths somehow intertwine again.
What were your positives and negatives from UFC 284?
On Saturday night, the MMA leader returned for its latest pay-per-view event, UFC 284.
Having opened its account for the year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UFC presented its sophomore PPV showcase of 2023 live from Perth. And in what marked the promotion’s first long-haul trip to Australia since UFC 243 in 2019, a main event worthy of the occasion topped the billing.
Looking to become the latest resident at champ-champ village was featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski, who sought to make the lightweight reign of Islam Makhachev a short one. In the meantime, 145-pound contenders Yair Rodríguez and Josh Emmett hoped to insert themselves as a placeholder ahead of the Aussie’s divisional return.
Prior to the two battles for gold, a number of notable names and exciting prospects were in action, including welterweight striker Jack Della Maddalena, promising light heavyweight Jimmy Crute, and debutant Jack Jenkins.
So, with historical stakes in the main event, interim implications in the co-headliner, and Aussie favorites looking to impress, did Saturday’s card provide an apt return Down Under? Let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC 284.
Some honorable mentions: Zubaira Tukhugov’s continuing weight struggles (negative), Jack Jenkins and Don Shainis’ entertaining preliminary scrap (positive), Kleydson Rodrigues’ rapid knockout (positive), and Justin Tafa’s walk-off KO (positive).
Righto! Onto the main course.
Negative – Field-ed The Wrong Judge…
30-27 Brener. That’s a scorecard.
A warning was set early at UFC 284 — do not leave it to the scorecards, especially if Evan Field is one of the three sat cageside.
The biggest underdog opened the card with an upset victory, but it wasn’t without controversy. Debutant Elves Brener ultimately exited the cage with a debut triumph, but you’d be hard-pressed to find someone recognizing it as a win.
After going the full 15 minutes against Zubaira Tukhugov, whose weight miss despite moving up from featherweight to lightweight provided another negative, Brener secured a 29-28 and 30-27 scorecard for the split decision. Had both granted a round to the Russian, perhaps the outrage would have been less widespread.
One thing I would say is, Tukhugov’s performance in rounds one and three weren’t emphatic or convincing enough to make me think there’s zero case for 29-28 Brener, although given that all 18 media members who submitted scorecards on MMA Decisions favored the Russian, perhaps I’m trying to channel my inner Switzerland too much.
Either way, on first view, a three-round whitewash for the Brazilian seems indefensible. The fact Field gave Brener round two alone should have probably warranted a quick escort out of the arena.
And from the only man who correctly scored Volkan Oezdemir vs. Aleksandar Raki? in 2019 too. Oh Evan, how the mighty have fallen.
Welcome back to Australia!
Positive – A Muay Thai Champ Evolves
The first finish of the night came in an unlikely fashion as longtime striker Loma Lookboonmee displayed a new wrinkle to her game that will no doubt make her an even more intriguing name to follow at strawweight moving forward.
The Thai 27-year-old transitioned to MMA in 2016 after a successful career as a Muay Thai practitioner. Among her accolades are three gold medals at the IFMA World Muay Thai Championships and the 48kg top prize at the 2016 Asian Beach Games.
Prior to UFC 284, Lookboonmee had displayed her striking acumen in wins over Jinh Yu Frey and Sam Hughes, but had her grappling deficiencies exposed against Lupita Godinez. Having apparently heard the cries of, ‘She’ll be extremely dangerous if she can develop her ground game’, she came out and proved to have done exactly that.
After a takedown attempt in round one ended in a reversal and Lookboonmee on her back, you’d have been forgiven for expecting her to return to the renowned kicking game that left Elise Reed’s leg a nice shade of red. Instead, she dumped the American, applied two hooks, and submitted her via rear-naked choke.
Because, of course?
Lookboonmee’s post-fight joy would suggest that method of victory was massively desired. Should it signal the start of the Thai fighter’s well-rounded iteration, we’ll all be beneficiaries as viewers for her future outings.
Positive – A Standout Aussie Win
Heading into UFC 284, one of the names I was most excited to see back in action was Melsik Baghdasaryan. But while I was looking forward to seeing the Armenian go to work on the feet, it was Joshua Culibao who thrilled the crowd and those of us watching from home.
Up to that point, Jamie Mullarkey and Jack Jenkins had emerged victorious in front of their home fans. But the manner of Culibao’s triumph certainly made it the most notable Aussie success through seven fights.
After a tentative first round and the adversity of a fairly brutal low blow, “Kuya” battled back in round two, capitalizing on an opportunity to grapple before locking in a rear-naked choke for the tap.
With that, Culibao added the first submission win to his record. And with Lookboonmee achieving the same feat a few fights prior, some jiu-jitsu was certainly in the Perth air.
Positive – Redemption
The featured preliminary bout between Tyson Pedro and Modestas Bukauskas may not have delivered the fireworks many were expecting, but it still concluded with a positive — the return of “The Baltic Gladiator.”
The Lithuanian-born Brit was released off the back of a three-fight skid in 2021, but the numbers certainly don’t tell the full story. As well as there being no shame in a knockout loss to Jimmy Crute, Bukauskas narrowly fell on the wrong side of a split decision against Micha? Oleksiejczuk before suffering a severe knee injury courtesy of a Khalil Rountree Jr. oblique kick.
But after recovering, Bukauskas immediately returned to form in Cage Warriors, winning two in impressive fashion and regaining the light heavyweight title in the process. With that, he was ready to prove he belongs in the Octagon in Perth.
Across three rounds, “The Baltic Gladiator” was seemingly one step ahead on the feet, and while not massively active, put in a mightily impressive performance considering he only got the call to cross the world a couple of weeks ago.
Bukauskas is back, and the light heavyweight division is better for it.
Positive – Finally!
I could almost have shed a tear when Marc Goddard deducted a point from Alonzo Menifield.
All the pain of past fence grabs has led us to this. I’d began to lose count of the number of times I listed an official letting blatant and fight-changing fence grabs go unpunished, but at UFC 284, Goddard did what the likes of Mark Smith and Chris Tognoni usually fail to.
In the final round of Jimmy Crute and Alonzo Menifield’s main card opener, the latter clearly used an illegal fence grip to prevent being taken to the ground. The English referee took the appropriate action and explained it well to the American as a point was taken.
But while it only feels right to lead with that point here, the overall positive was the fight itself. Not only did Crute and Menifield open their bout with a round of the year contender, but they delivered a three-round back-and-forth war that will no doubt be in the conversation for 2023’s best barnburners come December.
Although the Australia appeared out on his feet at times, he somehow stayed in it, and even rallied back to secure dominant positions in the final round. That, along with the deserved point deduction on the side of “Atomic,” ultimately helped him resurrect a draw.
While the UFC 284 card may have opened with some controversy, the PPV portion of the event began in a much better fashion.
Positive – A Rising Star Thrives At Home
It was hard to imagine Jack Della Maddalena’s stock being any higher following a breakout year in 2022. As it turns out, there was another level for the 26-year-old, one that he unlocked close to home at UFC 284.
The Perth native got one of, if not the, loudest reactions of the night, and he repaid his compatriots’ support by delivering an emphatic and fast finish inside the Octagon.
Having knocked out Pete Rodriguez, Ramazan Emeev, and Danny Roberts inside one frame last year, Della Maddalena added the name of Randy Brown to his group of first-round victims inside the UFC.
But while he’d stopped his opening three UFC foes on the feet, the Aussie showed his versatility by latching onto Brown’s neck and submitting him after initially face-planting “Rude Boy” with a looping right hook.
Having breezed through what was certainly his toughest test to date, there can be no doubt about Della Maddalena’s potential on the sport’s biggest stage. With that, it’s time to give the entertaining striker a ranked name.
Positive – Flawless
There aren’t many more entertaining to watch than Yair Rodríguez, and on Saturday night, he looked better than ever.
At UFC 284, the Mexican neutralized the power of Josh Emmett with a perfect display. From the first second, “El Pantera” appeared to puzzle the American with his wide array of kicks, something that was evident after a couple of clean body shots almost folded him à la his compatriot Brandon Moreno last July.
While Emmett found success in top position towards the end of round one, Rodríguez showed clear threat off his back — a foreshadow for how the fight would come to an end the following stanza.
Although a flying knee that resulted in him being put on his back may have had some questioning the Mexican’s tactics, Rodríguez made it abundantly clear that he’s dangerous wherever the fight goes, locking in a tight triangle choke for the submission victory.
Many men would have lofted the gold in the air and set their sights immediately on Alexander Volkanovski in the back, but Rodríguez refrained, noting he didn’t want to interfere with the Aussie’s pre-fight preparation.
If that doesn’t show the mindset of a man who deserves championship glory, I don’t know what does.
Positive – It Delivers
How satisfying is it when a truly massive fight delivers in spades?
Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski was billed as a historic champion vs. champion superfight and was widely seen as the biggest UFC matchup in a long time, and it played out as such. Across five rounds, the pair went to war with the highest possible stakes.
While he didn’t leave with the lightweight gold, it was certainly a close run thing for Volkanovski. By and large, the Australian proved his pre-fight confidence right, consistently defending takedowns and even reversing some positions himself.
It was almost poetic, then, that Makhachev found success on the feet, which ultimately helped him retain the title. That meant both men were left surprised at the strength of their opponent in the realms they’d initially doubted their skills in.
The end of the bout, which came after a Volkanovski-led round that really threw up some debate over the scorecards, arrived too soon for my liking. From minute one to minute 25, my nerves never settled and I really didn’t want it to end.
Alas, it is over and both men will go their separate ways to rule over their respective divisions. But fingers crossed their paths somehow intertwine again.
What were your positives and negatives from UFC 284?
Click here to view the article.
Having opened its account for the year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UFC presented its sophomore PPV showcase of 2023 live from Perth. And in what marked the promotion’s first long-haul trip to Australia since UFC 243 in 2019, a main event worthy of the occasion topped the billing.
Looking to become the latest resident at champ-champ village was featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski, who sought to make the lightweight reign of Islam Makhachev a short one. In the meantime, 145-pound contenders Yair Rodríguez and Josh Emmett hoped to insert themselves as a placeholder ahead of the Aussie’s divisional return.
Prior to the two battles for gold, a number of notable names and exciting prospects were in action, including welterweight striker Jack Della Maddalena, promising light heavyweight Jimmy Crute, and debutant Jack Jenkins.
So, with historical stakes in the main event, interim implications in the co-headliner, and Aussie favorites looking to impress, did Saturday’s card provide an apt return Down Under? Let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC 284.
Some honorable mentions: Zubaira Tukhugov’s continuing weight struggles (negative), Jack Jenkins and Don Shainis’ entertaining preliminary scrap (positive), Kleydson Rodrigues’ rapid knockout (positive), and Justin Tafa’s walk-off KO (positive).
Righto! Onto the main course.
Negative – Field-ed The Wrong Judge…
30-27 Brener. That’s a scorecard.
A warning was set early at UFC 284 — do not leave it to the scorecards, especially if Evan Field is one of the three sat cageside.
The biggest underdog opened the card with an upset victory, but it wasn’t without controversy. Debutant Elves Brener ultimately exited the cage with a debut triumph, but you’d be hard-pressed to find someone recognizing it as a win.
After going the full 15 minutes against Zubaira Tukhugov, whose weight miss despite moving up from featherweight to lightweight provided another negative, Brener secured a 29-28 and 30-27 scorecard for the split decision. Had both granted a round to the Russian, perhaps the outrage would have been less widespread.
One thing I would say is, Tukhugov’s performance in rounds one and three weren’t emphatic or convincing enough to make me think there’s zero case for 29-28 Brener, although given that all 18 media members who submitted scorecards on MMA Decisions favored the Russian, perhaps I’m trying to channel my inner Switzerland too much.
Either way, on first view, a three-round whitewash for the Brazilian seems indefensible. The fact Field gave Brener round two alone should have probably warranted a quick escort out of the arena.
And from the only man who correctly scored Volkan Oezdemir vs. Aleksandar Raki? in 2019 too. Oh Evan, how the mighty have fallen.
Welcome back to Australia!
Positive – A Muay Thai Champ Evolves
The first finish of the night came in an unlikely fashion as longtime striker Loma Lookboonmee displayed a new wrinkle to her game that will no doubt make her an even more intriguing name to follow at strawweight moving forward.
The Thai 27-year-old transitioned to MMA in 2016 after a successful career as a Muay Thai practitioner. Among her accolades are three gold medals at the IFMA World Muay Thai Championships and the 48kg top prize at the 2016 Asian Beach Games.
Prior to UFC 284, Lookboonmee had displayed her striking acumen in wins over Jinh Yu Frey and Sam Hughes, but had her grappling deficiencies exposed against Lupita Godinez. Having apparently heard the cries of, ‘She’ll be extremely dangerous if she can develop her ground game’, she came out and proved to have done exactly that.
After a takedown attempt in round one ended in a reversal and Lookboonmee on her back, you’d have been forgiven for expecting her to return to the renowned kicking game that left Elise Reed’s leg a nice shade of red. Instead, she dumped the American, applied two hooks, and submitted her via rear-naked choke.
Because, of course?
Lookboonmee’s post-fight joy would suggest that method of victory was massively desired. Should it signal the start of the Thai fighter’s well-rounded iteration, we’ll all be beneficiaries as viewers for her future outings.
Positive – A Standout Aussie Win
Heading into UFC 284, one of the names I was most excited to see back in action was Melsik Baghdasaryan. But while I was looking forward to seeing the Armenian go to work on the feet, it was Joshua Culibao who thrilled the crowd and those of us watching from home.
Up to that point, Jamie Mullarkey and Jack Jenkins had emerged victorious in front of their home fans. But the manner of Culibao’s triumph certainly made it the most notable Aussie success through seven fights.
After a tentative first round and the adversity of a fairly brutal low blow, “Kuya” battled back in round two, capitalizing on an opportunity to grapple before locking in a rear-naked choke for the tap.
With that, Culibao added the first submission win to his record. And with Lookboonmee achieving the same feat a few fights prior, some jiu-jitsu was certainly in the Perth air.
Positive – Redemption
The featured preliminary bout between Tyson Pedro and Modestas Bukauskas may not have delivered the fireworks many were expecting, but it still concluded with a positive — the return of “The Baltic Gladiator.”
The Lithuanian-born Brit was released off the back of a three-fight skid in 2021, but the numbers certainly don’t tell the full story. As well as there being no shame in a knockout loss to Jimmy Crute, Bukauskas narrowly fell on the wrong side of a split decision against Micha? Oleksiejczuk before suffering a severe knee injury courtesy of a Khalil Rountree Jr. oblique kick.
But after recovering, Bukauskas immediately returned to form in Cage Warriors, winning two in impressive fashion and regaining the light heavyweight title in the process. With that, he was ready to prove he belongs in the Octagon in Perth.
Across three rounds, “The Baltic Gladiator” was seemingly one step ahead on the feet, and while not massively active, put in a mightily impressive performance considering he only got the call to cross the world a couple of weeks ago.
Bukauskas is back, and the light heavyweight division is better for it.
Positive – Finally!
I could almost have shed a tear when Marc Goddard deducted a point from Alonzo Menifield.
All the pain of past fence grabs has led us to this. I’d began to lose count of the number of times I listed an official letting blatant and fight-changing fence grabs go unpunished, but at UFC 284, Goddard did what the likes of Mark Smith and Chris Tognoni usually fail to.
In the final round of Jimmy Crute and Alonzo Menifield’s main card opener, the latter clearly used an illegal fence grip to prevent being taken to the ground. The English referee took the appropriate action and explained it well to the American as a point was taken.
But while it only feels right to lead with that point here, the overall positive was the fight itself. Not only did Crute and Menifield open their bout with a round of the year contender, but they delivered a three-round back-and-forth war that will no doubt be in the conversation for 2023’s best barnburners come December.
Although the Australia appeared out on his feet at times, he somehow stayed in it, and even rallied back to secure dominant positions in the final round. That, along with the deserved point deduction on the side of “Atomic,” ultimately helped him resurrect a draw.
While the UFC 284 card may have opened with some controversy, the PPV portion of the event began in a much better fashion.
Positive – A Rising Star Thrives At Home
It was hard to imagine Jack Della Maddalena’s stock being any higher following a breakout year in 2022. As it turns out, there was another level for the 26-year-old, one that he unlocked close to home at UFC 284.
The Perth native got one of, if not the, loudest reactions of the night, and he repaid his compatriots’ support by delivering an emphatic and fast finish inside the Octagon.
Having knocked out Pete Rodriguez, Ramazan Emeev, and Danny Roberts inside one frame last year, Della Maddalena added the name of Randy Brown to his group of first-round victims inside the UFC.
But while he’d stopped his opening three UFC foes on the feet, the Aussie showed his versatility by latching onto Brown’s neck and submitting him after initially face-planting “Rude Boy” with a looping right hook.
Having breezed through what was certainly his toughest test to date, there can be no doubt about Della Maddalena’s potential on the sport’s biggest stage. With that, it’s time to give the entertaining striker a ranked name.
Positive – Flawless
There aren’t many more entertaining to watch than Yair Rodríguez, and on Saturday night, he looked better than ever.
At UFC 284, the Mexican neutralized the power of Josh Emmett with a perfect display. From the first second, “El Pantera” appeared to puzzle the American with his wide array of kicks, something that was evident after a couple of clean body shots almost folded him à la his compatriot Brandon Moreno last July.
While Emmett found success in top position towards the end of round one, Rodríguez showed clear threat off his back — a foreshadow for how the fight would come to an end the following stanza.
Although a flying knee that resulted in him being put on his back may have had some questioning the Mexican’s tactics, Rodríguez made it abundantly clear that he’s dangerous wherever the fight goes, locking in a tight triangle choke for the submission victory.
Many men would have lofted the gold in the air and set their sights immediately on Alexander Volkanovski in the back, but Rodríguez refrained, noting he didn’t want to interfere with the Aussie’s pre-fight preparation.
If that doesn’t show the mindset of a man who deserves championship glory, I don’t know what does.
Positive – It Delivers
How satisfying is it when a truly massive fight delivers in spades?
Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski was billed as a historic champion vs. champion superfight and was widely seen as the biggest UFC matchup in a long time, and it played out as such. Across five rounds, the pair went to war with the highest possible stakes.
While he didn’t leave with the lightweight gold, it was certainly a close run thing for Volkanovski. By and large, the Australian proved his pre-fight confidence right, consistently defending takedowns and even reversing some positions himself.
It was almost poetic, then, that Makhachev found success on the feet, which ultimately helped him retain the title. That meant both men were left surprised at the strength of their opponent in the realms they’d initially doubted their skills in.
The end of the bout, which came after a Volkanovski-led round that really threw up some debate over the scorecards, arrived too soon for my liking. From minute one to minute 25, my nerves never settled and I really didn’t want it to end.
Alas, it is over and both men will go their separate ways to rule over their respective divisions. But fingers crossed their paths somehow intertwine again.
What were your positives and negatives from UFC 284?
Having opened its account for the year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UFC presented its sophomore PPV showcase of 2023 live from Perth. And in what marked the promotion’s first long-haul trip to Australia since UFC 243 in 2019, a main event worthy of the occasion topped the billing.
Looking to become the latest resident at champ-champ village was featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski, who sought to make the lightweight reign of Islam Makhachev a short one. In the meantime, 145-pound contenders Yair Rodríguez and Josh Emmett hoped to insert themselves as a placeholder ahead of the Aussie’s divisional return.
Prior to the two battles for gold, a number of notable names and exciting prospects were in action, including welterweight striker Jack Della Maddalena, promising light heavyweight Jimmy Crute, and debutant Jack Jenkins.
So, with historical stakes in the main event, interim implications in the co-headliner, and Aussie favorites looking to impress, did Saturday’s card provide an apt return Down Under? Let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC 284.
Some honorable mentions: Zubaira Tukhugov’s continuing weight struggles (negative), Jack Jenkins and Don Shainis’ entertaining preliminary scrap (positive), Kleydson Rodrigues’ rapid knockout (positive), and Justin Tafa’s walk-off KO (positive).
Righto! Onto the main course.
Negative – Field-ed The Wrong Judge…
30-27 Brener. That’s a scorecard.
A warning was set early at UFC 284 — do not leave it to the scorecards, especially if Evan Field is one of the three sat cageside.
The biggest underdog opened the card with an upset victory, but it wasn’t without controversy. Debutant Elves Brener ultimately exited the cage with a debut triumph, but you’d be hard-pressed to find someone recognizing it as a win.
After going the full 15 minutes against Zubaira Tukhugov, whose weight miss despite moving up from featherweight to lightweight provided another negative, Brener secured a 29-28 and 30-27 scorecard for the split decision. Had both granted a round to the Russian, perhaps the outrage would have been less widespread.
One thing I would say is, Tukhugov’s performance in rounds one and three weren’t emphatic or convincing enough to make me think there’s zero case for 29-28 Brener, although given that all 18 media members who submitted scorecards on MMA Decisions favored the Russian, perhaps I’m trying to channel my inner Switzerland too much.
Either way, on first view, a three-round whitewash for the Brazilian seems indefensible. The fact Field gave Brener round two alone should have probably warranted a quick escort out of the arena.
And from the only man who correctly scored Volkan Oezdemir vs. Aleksandar Raki? in 2019 too. Oh Evan, how the mighty have fallen.
Welcome back to Australia!
Positive – A Muay Thai Champ Evolves
The first finish of the night came in an unlikely fashion as longtime striker Loma Lookboonmee displayed a new wrinkle to her game that will no doubt make her an even more intriguing name to follow at strawweight moving forward.
The Thai 27-year-old transitioned to MMA in 2016 after a successful career as a Muay Thai practitioner. Among her accolades are three gold medals at the IFMA World Muay Thai Championships and the 48kg top prize at the 2016 Asian Beach Games.
Prior to UFC 284, Lookboonmee had displayed her striking acumen in wins over Jinh Yu Frey and Sam Hughes, but had her grappling deficiencies exposed against Lupita Godinez. Having apparently heard the cries of, ‘She’ll be extremely dangerous if she can develop her ground game’, she came out and proved to have done exactly that.
After a takedown attempt in round one ended in a reversal and Lookboonmee on her back, you’d have been forgiven for expecting her to return to the renowned kicking game that left Elise Reed’s leg a nice shade of red. Instead, she dumped the American, applied two hooks, and submitted her via rear-naked choke.
Because, of course?
Lookboonmee’s post-fight joy would suggest that method of victory was massively desired. Should it signal the start of the Thai fighter’s well-rounded iteration, we’ll all be beneficiaries as viewers for her future outings.
Positive – A Standout Aussie Win
Heading into UFC 284, one of the names I was most excited to see back in action was Melsik Baghdasaryan. But while I was looking forward to seeing the Armenian go to work on the feet, it was Joshua Culibao who thrilled the crowd and those of us watching from home.
Up to that point, Jamie Mullarkey and Jack Jenkins had emerged victorious in front of their home fans. But the manner of Culibao’s triumph certainly made it the most notable Aussie success through seven fights.
After a tentative first round and the adversity of a fairly brutal low blow, “Kuya” battled back in round two, capitalizing on an opportunity to grapple before locking in a rear-naked choke for the tap.
With that, Culibao added the first submission win to his record. And with Lookboonmee achieving the same feat a few fights prior, some jiu-jitsu was certainly in the Perth air.
Positive – Redemption
The featured preliminary bout between Tyson Pedro and Modestas Bukauskas may not have delivered the fireworks many were expecting, but it still concluded with a positive — the return of “The Baltic Gladiator.”
The Lithuanian-born Brit was released off the back of a three-fight skid in 2021, but the numbers certainly don’t tell the full story. As well as there being no shame in a knockout loss to Jimmy Crute, Bukauskas narrowly fell on the wrong side of a split decision against Micha? Oleksiejczuk before suffering a severe knee injury courtesy of a Khalil Rountree Jr. oblique kick.
But after recovering, Bukauskas immediately returned to form in Cage Warriors, winning two in impressive fashion and regaining the light heavyweight title in the process. With that, he was ready to prove he belongs in the Octagon in Perth.
Across three rounds, “The Baltic Gladiator” was seemingly one step ahead on the feet, and while not massively active, put in a mightily impressive performance considering he only got the call to cross the world a couple of weeks ago.
Bukauskas is back, and the light heavyweight division is better for it.
Positive – Finally!
I could almost have shed a tear when Marc Goddard deducted a point from Alonzo Menifield.
All the pain of past fence grabs has led us to this. I’d began to lose count of the number of times I listed an official letting blatant and fight-changing fence grabs go unpunished, but at UFC 284, Goddard did what the likes of Mark Smith and Chris Tognoni usually fail to.
In the final round of Jimmy Crute and Alonzo Menifield’s main card opener, the latter clearly used an illegal fence grip to prevent being taken to the ground. The English referee took the appropriate action and explained it well to the American as a point was taken.
But while it only feels right to lead with that point here, the overall positive was the fight itself. Not only did Crute and Menifield open their bout with a round of the year contender, but they delivered a three-round back-and-forth war that will no doubt be in the conversation for 2023’s best barnburners come December.
Although the Australia appeared out on his feet at times, he somehow stayed in it, and even rallied back to secure dominant positions in the final round. That, along with the deserved point deduction on the side of “Atomic,” ultimately helped him resurrect a draw.
While the UFC 284 card may have opened with some controversy, the PPV portion of the event began in a much better fashion.
Positive – A Rising Star Thrives At Home
It was hard to imagine Jack Della Maddalena’s stock being any higher following a breakout year in 2022. As it turns out, there was another level for the 26-year-old, one that he unlocked close to home at UFC 284.
The Perth native got one of, if not the, loudest reactions of the night, and he repaid his compatriots’ support by delivering an emphatic and fast finish inside the Octagon.
Having knocked out Pete Rodriguez, Ramazan Emeev, and Danny Roberts inside one frame last year, Della Maddalena added the name of Randy Brown to his group of first-round victims inside the UFC.
But while he’d stopped his opening three UFC foes on the feet, the Aussie showed his versatility by latching onto Brown’s neck and submitting him after initially face-planting “Rude Boy” with a looping right hook.
Having breezed through what was certainly his toughest test to date, there can be no doubt about Della Maddalena’s potential on the sport’s biggest stage. With that, it’s time to give the entertaining striker a ranked name.
Positive – Flawless
There aren’t many more entertaining to watch than Yair Rodríguez, and on Saturday night, he looked better than ever.
At UFC 284, the Mexican neutralized the power of Josh Emmett with a perfect display. From the first second, “El Pantera” appeared to puzzle the American with his wide array of kicks, something that was evident after a couple of clean body shots almost folded him à la his compatriot Brandon Moreno last July.
While Emmett found success in top position towards the end of round one, Rodríguez showed clear threat off his back — a foreshadow for how the fight would come to an end the following stanza.
Although a flying knee that resulted in him being put on his back may have had some questioning the Mexican’s tactics, Rodríguez made it abundantly clear that he’s dangerous wherever the fight goes, locking in a tight triangle choke for the submission victory.
Many men would have lofted the gold in the air and set their sights immediately on Alexander Volkanovski in the back, but Rodríguez refrained, noting he didn’t want to interfere with the Aussie’s pre-fight preparation.
If that doesn’t show the mindset of a man who deserves championship glory, I don’t know what does.
Positive – It Delivers
How satisfying is it when a truly massive fight delivers in spades?
Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski was billed as a historic champion vs. champion superfight and was widely seen as the biggest UFC matchup in a long time, and it played out as such. Across five rounds, the pair went to war with the highest possible stakes.
While he didn’t leave with the lightweight gold, it was certainly a close run thing for Volkanovski. By and large, the Australian proved his pre-fight confidence right, consistently defending takedowns and even reversing some positions himself.
It was almost poetic, then, that Makhachev found success on the feet, which ultimately helped him retain the title. That meant both men were left surprised at the strength of their opponent in the realms they’d initially doubted their skills in.
The end of the bout, which came after a Volkanovski-led round that really threw up some debate over the scorecards, arrived too soon for my liking. From minute one to minute 25, my nerves never settled and I really didn’t want it to end.
Alas, it is over and both men will go their separate ways to rule over their respective divisions. But fingers crossed their paths somehow intertwine again.
What were your positives and negatives from UFC 284?
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