A match-up made in Abu Dhabi and transported to Perth has major fight feel.
On Sunday, Alex Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev headline the UFC’s grand return to Australia, in a bout that pits against one another the sport’s current No 1 pound-for-pound male athlete and its No 2.
Volkanovski, the lead light, resides as the UFC’s featherweight champion following four successful title defences; Makhachev the lightweight belt-holder after his dominant display against Charles Oliveira in the UAE capital last October.
For home hope Volkanovski, UFC 284 at the RAC Arena offers the chance to join a truly select band. In stepping up from 145lbs, the Australian can not only become the eighth two-division champion in UFC history, but the fifth to hold two belts simultaneously. To date, that elevated roll of honour reads Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes, Henry Cejudo and Daniel Cormier.
That Volkanovski agreed to the challenge speaks not only to a belief in his MMA acumen – he sits rightfully as the sport’s all-round active No 1 – but his ambition, also.
His credentials are obvious. His 22-fight win streak is the longest in MMA competition of any active UFC competitor. His sole professional defeat in 26 bouts came almost a full decade ago. And he is 12-0 since signing with the UFC, one of only four fighters to begin their career in the promotion with such a sequence.
Yet it is Volkanovski’s conviction to this particular cause that stands out. For most already the finest featherweight in UFC history, he has elected to test his talent at 155lbs, against the lightweight division’s newly minted champion and the long-touted heir apparent to Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Thus, “Alexander the Great” has an opportunity for “Greatest Of All Time” status. Unquestionably, victory on Sunday would rank among the most impressive in the UFC's near 30-year existence, albeit not its biggest shock – far from it, given Volkanovski’s calibre – even if he goes into the fight as underdog.
Volkanovski, 34, flew to Abu Dhabi in October not long after recovering from hand surgery, made weight as a potential replacement for Makhachev-Oliveira, before entering the octagon at Etihad Arena in the immediate aftermath of UFC 280 when the gauntlet was thrown down.
He sized up Makhachev, the scale of the assignment proposed, and accepted. Makhachev, remember, rides an 11-fight win streak – second only to Volkanovski – and boasts a 23-1 pro record. The solitary loss coming in late 2015. Justifiably, he is considered one of the sport’s most supreme wrestlers.
And that’s what makes Sunday’s showdown feel genuinely special. The top two in the pound-for-pound rankings, both seemingly at their peak, Volkanovski’s incredible striking against Makhachev’s irrepressible ground game.
Makhachev is viewed as favourite, since Volkanovski has jumped into what the Dagestani told The National last week marks a “new jungle”. At 31, Makhachev is tipped to reign for some time, billed as the continuation to Nurmagomedov's legacy.
Volkanovski, though, thrives in the underdog role. What's more, his back catalogue confirms he is too good to be underestimated, something that Makhachev will surely recognise. For both, the stakes are substantial.
But for Volkanovski, should he emerge victorious in front of his fans, he doesn't simply take a seat alongside McGregor, Nunes, Cejudo and Cormier at that exclusive table. He cements his place in the pantheon, too.
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Previous men's records
- 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
- 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
- 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
- 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
- 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
- 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
- 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
if you go
The flights
Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.
The tour
Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
