Alexander Volkanovski vs. Islam Makhachev Fight 'Close' For UFC 284

Alexander Volkanovski said his team is "close" to setting up a bout against Islam Makhachev, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN.

The battle of UFC champions would take place at UFC 284 on Feb. 12 in Perth, Australia.

"We're obviously pushing for it," Volkanovski said. "Everyone wants it. We're going to make it happen."

Volkanovski has emerged as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the latest UFC rankings after successfully defending his featherweight title against Max Holloway, his third win against the former champ. The Australian is now 25-1 in his professional career and is undefeated since joining UFC in 2016.

The next challenge for him is moving up in weight class, trying to join Conor McGregor as the only person to hold the lightweight and featherweight titles at the same time.

Makhachev is rated the No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter behind Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya, but his size and experience could make him a tough opponent in a potential bout.

The 31-year-old earned the UFC lightweight title in October with a win over Charles Oliveira by submission. He is 23-1 in MMA, with his only loss coming in 2015.

Volkanovski believes the fight will provide an opportunity to further prove himself.

"It's going to be like a David and Goliath, because everyone thinks he's the strongest man on the planet, best grappling anyone has ever seen," Volkanovski said. "The way they're talking about him—it's just going to look incredible when I get the job done."