UFC 284 notes: Makhachev retains 155-pound title, Rodriguez wins interim gold

The top two pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC went to battle at Saturday's UFC 284 with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev earning a unanimous decision win over featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Makhachev earned scores of 48-47 (twice) and 49-46 in the first defense of the vacant title he won by defeating Charles Oliveira last October.

The pay-per-view took place in Perth, Australia -- Volkanovski's home country.

Makhachev's next title defense likely will come against either the winner of Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush at UFC 288 or Justin Gaethje if he can defeat Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286. The popular Dustin Poirier remains an option as well, but he has no fight lined up as of now.

The loss is Volkanovski's first in the UFC -- a 13-fight stretch dating back to his promotional debut in November 2016. It was his first lightweight fight since that debut.

It's expected he will return to featherweight and look for the fifth defense of the title he won in December 2019. 

Assuming he does, he will face new interim champion Yair Rodriguez who defeated Josh Emmett in the co-main event to win the title. The 30-year-old submitted Emmett in the second round for his first reign of any kind in the UFC.