Islam Makhachev said he realised his dream to become the best fighter in the world after he successfully defended his lightweight title against the UFC’s No 1 pound-for-pound male Alexander Volkanovski in Australia on Sunday.
The Dagestan native, who went into the clash against the featherweight champion at No 2 in the overall rankings, prevailed by unanimous decision in the headline event at UFC 284, taking the contest 48-47, 48-47, 49-46.
The bout, one of the mostly keen contested in recent memory, was deservedly awarded Fight of the Night at the RAC Arena in Perth.
The victory increased Makhachev’s win streak to 12 – the longest active winning run in the UFC – while also inflicting Volkanovski’s first defeat in 23 professional bouts. It marked the Australian’s second pro loss overall (25-2) while Makhachev's CV now sits at 24-1.
“Doesn’t matter how I won today,” Makhachev told reporters afterwards. “Now I’m not just champion; I’m the best fighter in the world. Now people are going to call me not just champ, but the best fighter in the world. This is my dream. I’m very happy.”
Makhachev and Volkanovski traded blow for blow for the majority of a gripping battle, with the latter cheered on by a partisan crowd in his home country.
Known as arguably the most dominant wrestler in the UFC at present, Makhachev said in the build-up that he planned to knock out Volkanovski. The explosive featherweight, 34, was attempting to become only the fifth fighter in the promotion’s history to hold two belts simultaneously.
“I told all media that I’m going to try to knock him out,” Makhachev said. “I landed many good punches, good knees, but this guy is so strong. How is he strong? Because he was the best fighter in the world. Not now, before.
“I give him big cut [above his left eye]. But this guy is a real champion.”
Makhachev, 31, said he would learn significantly from going the distance for the first time in his UFC career.
“This is my first five rounds,” he said. “It was a crazy and big experience for me. And I’m very happy because fighters need some hard fights. From the easy fights, like one or two rounds, you don’t improve a lot. But from the five rounds I’m sure I improved a lot.”
On whether he was worried the judges would award the win to Volkanovski, who concluded the fight on top of Makhachev, the lightweight champion said: “Honestly, last round he landed a good punch. I don’t know, I just go down and in my mind I thought I won four, three rounds and just I don’t want to do some mistake. That’s why I played a little bit there.
“When fight was over, I thought I won minimum three rounds.”
Asked about the possibility of a rematch with Volkanovski, Makhachev said: “I never choose the opponent. When [UFC president] Dana [White] call me, I will be ready. I’m waiting for the call. I’m a champion, best fighter in the world. Give me a real contender.
“Now I am the best fighter, champion. Dana I’m waiting. Call me.”
Fighting for the first time in five UFC bouts without long-time teammate and coach Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, Makhachev took a call from the former champion immediately after the triumph.
“He so nervous and he say, ‘Why you don’t do this and this?’” said Makhachev, who won the belt last October in Abu Dhabi. “I said, ‘If you were in my corner I can do this, but you didn’t come’.”
Meanwhile, Volkanovski congratulated Makhachev on the win, saying he would next return to 145 lbs to defend his featherweight crown against Yair Rodriguez. The Mexican, the division's No 2-ranked contender, defeated Josh Emmett in the card’s penultimate bout by second-round submission to claim the interim title.
“Let’s just get it over and done with,” Volkanovski said. “I said I was going to stay active. I’ll be back in the lightweight division, but for now let me go settle this featherweight division. Congrats to Yair.
“Just because I pulled up short tonight doesn't change a thing. Obviously a lot of people are going to be happy with that because they never gave me a chance. I knew I prepared properly, it was a fun fight. Congrats to Islam.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
The five pillars of Islam
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OPENING FIXTURES
Saturday September 12
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Leicester
West Ham v Newcastle
Monday September 14
Brighton v Chelsea
Sheffield United v Wolves
To be rescheduled
Burnley v Manchester United
Manchester City v Aston Villa
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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How Voiss turns words to speech
The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen
The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser
This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen
A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB
The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free
Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards
Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser
Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages
At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness
More than 90 per cent live in developing countries
The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 6
08.00-15.00 Technical scrutineering
15.00-17.00 Extra free practice
Friday, December 7
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 1
15.30 BRM F1 qualifying
Saturday, December 8
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 2
15.30 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
SPECS
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Racecard
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Mountain%20Boy
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The Cockroach
(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
The biog
Favourite food: Fish and seafood
Favourite hobby: Socialising with friends
Favourite quote: You only get out what you put in!
Favourite country to visit: Italy
Favourite film: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Family: We all have one!
