Islam Makhachev knocks out Alexander Volkanovski with early head kick in rematch

Islam Makhachev secured a more decisive victory in his second fight against Alexander Volkanovski.

In the highly-anticipated main event of UFC 294, Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) finished Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) with a devastating head kick and a series of punches in the first round, ending the match at the 3:06 mark. This thrilling event took place at the renowned Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

The turning point in the fight came when Makhachev unleashed a left high kick, a technique he had frequently utilized in their previous encounter. In that bout, which occurred during UFC 284 in February, Makhachev emerged as the victor, securing a unanimous decision.

Volkanovski collapsed to the mat, landing near the cage, and Makhachev capitalized on this opportunity by immediately pouncing on him and delivering short but powerful hammerfists, causing blood to flow down Volkanovski’s face. Referee Marc Goddard swiftly intervened, putting an end to the bout.

After his triumph, Makhachev expressed his support for Palestine amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. As for Volkanovski, he utilized his post-fight interview to request more frequent fights from the UFC and indicated his intention to return against Ilia Topuria.

With this victory, Makhachev successfully defended his title for the second time and extended his impressive winning streak to 13. Originally, he was slated to face Charles Oliveira, but the latter withdrew due to an injury.

This defeat marks the second loss for Volkanovski within the UFC organization. His previous loss to Makhachev is now sandwiched between a notable featherweight title defense against Yair Rodriguez in July. Despite this setback, Volkanovski continues to maintain an undefeated record in the UFC’s featherweight division.

The latest results from UFC 294 include:

• Islam Makhachev def. Alexander Volkanovski via knockout (head kick, punches) – Round 1, 3:06

• Khamzat Chimaev def. Kamaru Usman via majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)

• Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker declared no contest (accidental illegal blow) – Round 1, 3:13

• Ikram Aliskerov def. Warlley Alves via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:07

• Said Nurmagomedov def. Muin Gafurov via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:13

• Muhammad Mokaev def. Tim Elliott via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 3:03

• Trevor Peek def. Mohammad Yahya via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 30-27)

• Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry declared no contest (accidental groin strike by Basharat) – Round 2, 0:15

• Sedriques Dumas def. Abu Azaitar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

• Mike Breeden def. Anshul Jubli via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 3:00

• Muhammad Naimov def. Nathaniel Wood via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

• Viktoriia Dudakova def. Jinh Yu Frey via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

• Shara Magomedov def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 30-27)

For more information about the event, please visit the MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

This story was originally published on MMA Junkie.