UFC 284 saw the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the promotion battle it out in an epic five-round war that surpassed the expectations of almost all those who watched.
Islam Makhachev successfully defended his belt for the first time against Alexander Volkanovski. However, the fight was tightly contested from start to finish. ‘The Great’ showed he could compete with Makhachev’s grappling prowess, while the lightweight champion realized more success on the feet than many people expected against Volkanovski’s elite striking.
Fans and fighters alike took to Twitter to express their admiration at the all-time classic that they had just witnessed in UFC 284’s main event.
Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo posted the following on Twitter:
“Respect @MAKHACHEVMMA @alexvolkanovski That was one of the most competitive fights in the history of the sport.”
See the tweet below:
Head coach of Xtreme Couture MMA, Erick Nicksick, believes that Volkanovski’s stock rose despite his defeat and congratulated both men on their performances.
“Great win for Islam! But the storyline for me; Volk set a standard tonight, and a reminder, to never fear to strive for greatness.”
See the tweet below:
MMA pundit Chamatkar Sandhu was full of praise for the level of skill displayed in the UFC 284 main event.
“Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski was one of the best examples of what the highest level of MMA is all about. The real fight fans won tonight. I’d love to see them run it back one day. I’m in awe of both men”
See the tweet below:
UFC heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall stated that fans should stop complaining about the decision and be grateful for being able to witness such elite-level martial arts.
“Whoever you thought won the main event, doesn’t matter. The decision is the decision. More importantly we as the fans won, what an honour to watch one of the most technical displays of MMA we have ever seen”
See the tweet below:
Many other fighters and pundits took to social media to share their praise for the fight.
Joe Rogan reacts to UFC 284 main event result
Joe Rogan watched the UFC 284 pay-per-view card with friends Eddie Bravo, Brian Callen, and Brendan Schaub during The Joe Rogan Experience.
The group thought that Alexander Volkanovski had done enough to secure a victory over Islam Makhachev following the fifth round and were shocked at the official result.
Rogan was rendered somewhat speechless by the judges’ decision, and Schaub exclaimed that Volkanovski had been robbed of champ-champ status.
Watch the video below: