Islam Makhachev has retained his UFC lightweight championship after an epic encounter with Alexander Volkanovski – and the people aren’t happy.
Boos rang out around Perth’s RAC Arena when it was confirmed Makhachev had won via unanimous decision, with the judges marking the fight 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46.
While the Russian was clearly a cut above the Australian in the opening rounds, regularly taking Volkanovski to the floor, a stunning fifth-round onslaught from the 34-year old revived hopes of a remarkable comeback win.
Fans have since taken to social media to bemoan the unanimous decision, which was labelled as ‘bulls–t’ and ‘laughable’; with many feeling Volkanovski was not only harshly dealt with, but should have been victorious.
Among those in the Australian’s corner include NFL icon Pat McAfee and rapper Lil Wayne, who said he may never watch UFC again after the controversy.
There was particular scorn directed at the judge who marked the fight 49-47 in Makhachev’s favour, with UFC great Nate Diaz saying the Russian ‘got his asss [sic] whooped’.
However, despite the disappointment, Volkanovski couldn’t have been classier in defeat. The 34-year old first motioned to the crowd for the boos to cease while Makhachev was conducting his post-fight interview, before praising his opponent when it was his turn to speak.
‘I appreciate the support, but let’s give a round of applause for Islam,” he said.
“It was a fun fight – maybe I could have capitalised on some positions a bit more. Left it a little late, but hey, what do you do? Congrats to Islam.”
Volkanovski had been attempting to become just the fifth UFC fighter to hold two belts at once, having become the featherweight champion with a win over Max Holloway last year.
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