October 21, (THEWILL0 – Islam Makhachev left no doubt about his superiority over Alexander Volkanovski with a dominant first-round knockout win at UFC 294. The Russian needed less than four minutes to dispatch the featherweight champion, setting up the finish with vicious kicks to the legs and body before landing a crushing head kick that ended Volkanovski’s night.
Makhachev was on the offensive from the opening bell, chopping away at Volkanovski’s legs as the Australian looked to find his range. After missing an early takedown attempt, Makhachev reset and launched a perfectly timed head kick that caught Volkanovski flush on the chin, sending him crashing to the canvas. The referee stepped in after just a few follow-up punches, waving off the fight at the 3:06 mark of round one.
“My coaches pushed me very hard in training and that’s why this happened today,” Makhachev said, crediting his team for the dominant performance. “We’ve been planning that high kick for months and it worked just as we imagined against a real champion in Volkanovski.”
While their first meeting last February went the distance, the rematch was a totally different story. Makhachev set up his lethal kicks brilliantly, going to the legs and body to disguise the fight-ending shot upstairs. Once he had Volkanovski on the defensive after an early takedown attempt, the opening was there for the head kick finish.
Volkanovski was left bloodied from the damage inflicted by the new champion, but was gracious in defeat, admitting “Credit to Islam, great kick. He’s a great champion.” Meanwhile, Makhachev continues his reign atop the deepest division in the UFC, with challengers like Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje lining up for a shot at the title.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
