Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett will compete in a featherweight interim title fight in the co-main event at UFC 284 in Perth on Feb. 11, the UFC announced Saturday.

Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is set to challenge new lightweight king Islam Makhachev atop the Australian event.

It was initially uncertain if the UFC would create an interim title despite Volkanovski's desire to move up to 155 pounds.

The champion has defended his belt in dominant fashion three times over the last 14 months and said he intends to hold both championships if he beats Makhachev.

Rodriguez comes into the bout with a 14-3 record and fresh off his TKO victory over Brian Ortega in July, although that came after the latter suffered a shoulder injury. It was just the second fight for the Mexican over the last three years amid injuries and a suspension.

Emmett, meanwhile, sports an 18-2 record while riding a five-fight winning streak, including his split-decision victory against Calvin Kattar in June.

Arnold Allen, who is ranked fourth in the division, was viewed as the other main contender for a potential interim bout. The Englishman won his 10th fight in the UFC in late October with TKO win over an injured Kattar.

Volkanovski owns victories over the other three members of the featherweight top six - No. 1 Max Holloway (three times), No. 3 Brian Ortega, and No. 6 Chan Sung Jung - ruling them out of contention for the interim fight.