UFC 284 predictions: Will Volkanovski join elusive double-champ club?

Ahead of Saturday's UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, theScore's Nick Baldwin makes his picks for the top bouts.

Lightweight championship

Islam Makhachev (23-1)
vs.
Alexander Volkanovski (25-1)

There's no denying that Volkanovski is daring to be great, just like his nickname suggests. Not only is the Australian moving up in weight to attempt to win a second UFC title, but he's also decided to face one of the most feared fighters on the roster. Makhachev has lived up to expectations - and then some - as the successor of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Victory over Makhachev in this weekend's superfight - the seventh matchup between reigning champions in UFC history - would indeed make Volkanovski great. Perhaps one of the greatest. He'd join an elusive club as the UFC's seventh two-division champion and fifth simultaneous two-division champion. Volkanovski would etch his name in the history books - if he hasn't already - forever.

Of course, overcoming the puzzle that is Makhachev will be no easy feat. Other than in a first-round knockout loss in his second UFC bout in 2015, no one's been able to test Makhachev. He's lost only one round in his entire UFC career (excluding the knockout). While Volkanovski - a dominant champ at 145 pounds and MMA's rightful pound-for-pound king - has the tools to challenge Makhachev more than anyone before him, it still won't be enough to get past that Dagestani dominance.

Makhachev is an extremely suffocating grappler. He makes it almost impossible for his opponents to stay upright, return to the striking department once they've been taken down, and prevent him from advancing into a more dominant position. Although Volkanovski has a strong get-up game, he's never faced someone with Makhachev's abilities. Makhachev will stay patient and eventually find a rhythm that allows him to get Volkanovski on the ground with consistency, or at least clinch him against the fence. Being the bigger man will play an important role in this.

Volkanovski's best shot to pull off the upset, of course, will come on the feet. Despite Makhachev looking better in that area lately (knocking down Charles Oliveira in his title win last October was impressive), Volkanovski is definitely the better striker on paper. So whenever he finds himself not on the bottom of Makhachev, he needs to do everything possible to land punches, kicks, elbows - whatever he can - and ideally hurt his Russian opponent.

If he doesn't, Makhachev will keep coming with takedowns and damaging blows on the ground.

Volkanovski is one of the smartest fighters in the sport and one of the finest technicians we've ever seen. He is well-rounded. He is tough. He is gutsy. And he has a tremendous chin. Volkanovski may survive submission attempts that others wouldn't have, and he may land more strikes on Makhachev than anyone else. In the end, though, Makhachev's stylistic and physical advantages will be too much.

The pick: Makhachev, unanimous decision

Interim featherweight championship

Yair Rodriguez (14-3, 1 NC)
vs.
Josh Emmett (18-2)

While Volkanovski goes for a second piece of hardware, the UFC has created an interim title in his division with a matchup between top contenders Rodriguez and Emmett.

Saturday's co-main event will most likely be a closely contested stand-up affair - and it could end up being quite the back-and-forth brawl. Unless Rodriguez or Emmett are planning to mix in some surprises, don't expect either to go for takedowns.

Rodriguez will hold the edge in overall striking technique and variety. "El Pantera" uses different kinds of punches and kicks often in his fights, and he owns some of the coolest knockouts in UFC history (the upward elbow against Chan Sung Jung and the head kick against Andre Fili being his marquee highlights).

Meanwhile, Emmett will have the power advantage. Just ask Ricardo Lamas or Michael Johnson how hard the Team Alpha Male product hits. It's utterly ridiculous for a featherweight.

This fight will likely come down to whether Rodriguez makes more of an impact with his volume or Emmett makes more of an impact with his power shots. Perhaps more than anything, it'll come down to one simple thing: whether Emmett lands a big bomb, because that could very well be the great equalizer.

(Sike!)

The pick: Rodriguez, unanimous decision

Light heavyweight bout

Jimmy Crute (12-3)
vs.
Alonzo Menifield (13-3)

Two hard-hitting light heavyweights kick off the pay-per-view main card, and it's going to be a doozy.

Crute is looking to get back on track after suffering back-to-back losses to current champion Jamahal Hill and Anthony Smith, while Menifield has the chance to extend his winning streak to three and crack into the top 15 at 205 pounds.

Anything can happen when fighters like Crute and Menifield collide. They each have one-punch knockout power and flaws in their skill sets. For instance, Crute's defense on the feet isn't the best, and Menifield's overall striking technique could use some work.

Crute has a solid ground game that he can use if things get dicey on the feet. He may even look to take Menifield down right from the start. The Australian should thus be slightly favored. His striking is more refined, he's quicker, and he has more ways to win.

But whichever way this goes, expect a finish.

The pick: Crute, first-round knockout