Who Are The Australians Making An Impact At UFC 284?
Excitement levels are growing ahead of UFC 284, as a historic night of MMA action awaits. It will be a welcome sight for Australian fans of the sport, as it will be the first UFC event held in the country since Melbourne hosted UFC 243 in October 2019.
This time around, it will be Perth’s time to shine, as UFC 284 will take place at the RAC Arena, located just a stone’s throw from the renowned Crown Casino Perth, and there is likely to be a full house of MMA die-hard fans in attendance for what should be a special night of action. But, which Aussies will be looking to make waves on the big night of action in Perth?
Alexander Volkanovski
The show’s main event will feature an Australian, as Alexander Volkanovski looks to create history. The Aussie will be looking to become the fourth man to hold championships in two different weight classifications at the same time, and the eighth overall to win titles in two different weight classes. However, he is likely to go into the bout as the outsider against reigning Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
But, the UFC star from Wollongong isn’t likely to be overawed by the occasion, as he brings an excellent professional record into the bout. Volkanovski has won 25 of his 26 professional fights, which includes a perfect record since making his UFC debut. The Australian won the UFC Featherweight title back in May 2019, as he beat Jose Aldo by unanimous decision at UFC 237.
Since then, he has successfully defended the gold on five occasions, which includes a hat-trick of victories over Max Holloway. The latest of those came in July of last year at UFC 276. With a passionate hometown crowd behind him, Volkanovski could make history in Perth.
Jack Della Maddalena
The prodigal son will return to Perth at UFC 284, as Jack Della Maddalena will have the passionate backing of his hometown behind him in February. Born in Perth, it is likely to be a massive night in the young career of Della Maddalena, as he competes on the main card of the show against Randy Brown.
Della Maddalena has been signed with the UFC since September 2021 after beating Ange Loosa at Dana White’s Contender Series 39. That unanimous decision victory set the tone for his career in UFC, and he has progressed excellently since that win. On his first main appearance, he was a first-round winner over Pete Rodriguez at UFC 270 in January 2022.
He fought on two more occasions in 2022, beating Ramazan Emeev and Danny Roberts by first-round knockouts. On both occasions, he picked up the Performance of the Night bonuses, with his move recent win being recorded at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas in November. He already looks set to be one of the most exciting UFC fighters on the roster, and this looks set to be a huge night in his career.
Jimmy Crute
The main card at UFC 284 kicks off with another Aussie contender in the UFC. Jimmy Crute will clash with Alonzo Meinfield in the first bout on the main card, which will be televised on ESPN+. Crute hails from Singleton, New South Wales, and has been competing in the UFC since landing victory on Dana White’s Contender Series 14 in 2018. At present, he is ranked 12th in the light heavyweight standings.
The 26-year-old will be hoping that hometown support could get him back into the win column in Perth, as he has lost his previous two. Both defeats have been suffered by first-round knockouts, which includes his defeat against Jamahal Hill at UFC on ESPN in December 2021. To date, he has won 12 of his professional MMA bouts, but all three of his career losses have come in his previous five appearances.
Regardless, fans will be in for a treat when he steps into the octagon, as none of his fights since 2018 have gone the distance. In fact, all but one of his UFC stars haven’t made it past the first round. But, he will be hoping that he can get back to winning ways in his homeland in February.
Final Thoughts
The UFC has certainly made up for their absence in Australia, as UFC 284 promises to be one of the biggest MMA events that the country has ever seen. There will be a potentially historic night in the main event for Alexander Volkanovski, while the emerging talents of Jack Ella Maddalena and Jimmy Crute only promise more Australian success in the octagon over the coming years.
