UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski holds on to P4P No 1 spot despite UFC 284 loss vs Islam Makhachev

Despite suffering a loss to Islam Makhachev, Alexander Volkanovski has continued to hold the top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings.

The RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia, played host to the highly anticipated UFC 284 event, which featured an exciting octagon battle between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev successfully defended his lightweight title against Alexander Volkanovski with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 in favor of Makhachev

I think Volk should keep the 1 P4P spot. He came up in weight, arguably edged Makhachev in the fight, and finished on top. Pound for pound, he is amazing at 155lbs but reassured his dominance at 145lbs. Just my 2 cents.

Anyway, Australia, you're amazing 🙏🏼🔥 pic.twitter.com/JF20UEeodL

— The Fight Hound (@FightHoundTV) February 12, 2023

As a result of Islam Makhachev’s victory over the reigning featherweight champion, it was expected that the Dagestani would also ascend to the position of number one in the pound-for-pound rankings.

Soon after his victory over Volk, the Russian boxer proclaimed himself to be the best fighter in the world, however, the most recent P4P ranking says otherwise.

After the conclusion of UFC 284, Volkanovski is still ranked first in the UFC’s pound-for-pound standings, while Makhachev is placed in the second spot. This indicates that both fighters’ positions have remained unchanged from before the event.

However, welterweight superstars Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman are currently ranked third and fourth respectively.

Even in a loss, Alex Volkanovski could still retain the pound-for-pound #1 status and you can't be mad at that. pic.twitter.com/DXJ3i2E57t

— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) February 12, 2023

On Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour, Volkanovski, who had hoped to become a double champion, discussed his emotions and thoughts following the fight. The Great believes that despite his defeat, he proved that he was the superior fighter on that particular day.

“A lot of people thought I won that fight, I thought I won that fight, and I moved up. We’re talking about pound-for-pound. Imagine if we were in the same weight class. I don’t want to be that guy, but if he was just a featherweight in my division, I’d squash him. It’s a walk in the park. No offense to him, but that’s legit.” said Volkanovski.