Issue 222

October 2025

No strike lands here. But that’s what makes it powerful. Alexander Volkanovski surges forward, while Islam Makhachev absorbs the moment with the calm of a man built to survive chaos. It’s the split second before violence, frozen in perfect balance: attack and defence, fury and control, Australia and Dagestan. Their connection runs deeper than this frame suggests. Volkanovski trained with Jack Della Maddalena, the man Makhachev is now chasing and is someone who sharpened his skills alongside Belal Muhammad, the former champ Della just beat. You keeping up? It’s six degrees of separation written in sweat, loyalty, and geography. One network of fighters, stitched together by rivalry and revenge. This photo isn’t about anyone hitting anyone and while it shows restraint, Makhachev, the so-called submission specialist, ended Volkanovski with a head kick that silenced every assumption. This isn’t about anyone hitting anyone. It’s about how far the ripple travels when the best in the world collide.

Date: February 2023

Location: UFC 284, RAC Arena, Perth, Western Australia