Alex Volkanovski is fighting for his place in Australian sporting history when he takes on Islam Makhachev at UFC 284

When he surveys the breadth of his domain, Alexander Volkanovski will never weep, for he will always see more worlds to conquer.

Landing the featherweight title while downing all-time legends Jose Aldo and Max Holloway along the way was the beginning.

Then he earned his place as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world courtesy of a lengthy and dominant title reign. 

After that, the only way is up — to a shot at the lightweight title, to Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 in Perth on Sunday and perhaps to the rarest air in Australian combat sports history, to places no Australian has been before and might never see again.

It won’t be easy, mainly because nothing truly great ever is but mostly because Makhachev is 23-1, hard as hell and mean as sin.

He hails from the mountains of Dagestan where he trained alongside former undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov all his life and was coached by the retired legend’s late father Abdulmanap. It’s not quite like being raised by wolves but given they used to wrestle bears growing up, it’s as close as you can get.

Simply put, if they’re taking on a Dagestani wrestler most fighters can’t do much other than walk out to the Octagon with the wind in their back and hope in their hearts because almost every single one of them is struck down with great and terrible wrath either way.

The Dagestan approach of impeccable wrestling and an utterly ruthless mindset ensures just about every door any opponent tries to go through leads to the same room.

Makhachev is no exception and his thunderous, second-round submission victory over Charles Oliveira last October to win the title was a fine example of that most important of championship traits — the ability not just to win, but to tear victory away from one’s opponent like an eagle feasting on the entrails of its prey.

He is, in the tradition established by Nurmagomedov, a wrecking machine. Any lightweight in the world would have his hands full taking on Makhachev, and Volkanovski, for all his talent and brilliance and achievement, would likely still be the underdog even if he weren’t giving up size, strength and reach.

Volkanovski is already the greatest Australian fighter in mixed martial arts history. If he defends his featherweight title a couple more times he’ll be the best fighter that division has ever seen as well.

But if he can work out an answer to the Dagestani riddle that has proven unsolvable to so many and beat Makhachev, he has a case to being Australia’s best-ever fighter in any combat sport.

So it’s not just a title that’s on the line in Perth on Sunday, but a legacy, the chance to be mentioned alongside the likes of Jeff Fenech, Johnny Famechon, Kostya Tszyu and Lionel Rose in the eternal question of who is the greatest fighter in Australian history.

It’s not a debate with an answer but Volkanovski can enter the conversation with a win and once you’re in you don’t ever leave.

In mixed martial arts circles, Volkanovski is already talked about in something close to those terms. Men who entered the UFC long before him speak of the Windang product with something close to reverence.

Josh Emmett will face Yair Rodriguez in the co-main event on Sunday with the winner locked in as Volkanovski’s next opponent at featherweight. Ask him about the man whose title he wants to take and Emmett sounds like a longtime fan.

“I’ve had an eye on him for a long time. I said he was the one who would upset [Max] Holloway, nobody believed me but he did, and he shut him out,” Emmett said.

“He’s a great champion and a great person and I think he’ll surprise a lot of people. Plenty of people might count him out but I’m not.”

Even the Dagestani crew, who bow to nobody, harbour respect for Volkanovski.