Anticipation for the sequel was never in short supply.
As Makhachev and Volkanovski make final preparations for their latest champion-versus-champion superfight at 155 pounds, a look at some of the numbers that have accompanied them to this point:
31: Years of age for Makhachev, who was born on Oct. 27, 1991 in Makhachkala, Russia.
11: Makhachev wins by submission, accounting for 46% of his career total (24). His methods of choice: four triangle chokes, two armbars, two rear-naked chokes, two arm-triangle chokes and one kimura. Makhachev owns four other wins by knockout or technical knockout (17%) and nine more by decision (37%).
2,940: Days since Makhachev suffered his only career defeat. American Top Team’s Adriano Martins punched out the Russian in the first round of their UFC 192 pairing on Oct. 3, 2015.
4: Takedowns completed by Makhachev in his first encounter with Volkanovski. They resulted in more than seven minutes of control time.
322: Combined victories between the 13 men—Volkanovski, Oliveira, Bobby Green, Dan Hooker, Thiago Moises, Drew Dober, Davi Ramos, Arman Tsarukyan, Kajan Johnson, Gleison Tibau, Nik Lentz, Chris Wade and Leo Kuntz—Makhachev has beaten in the UFC. They boast a cumulative .723 winning percentage at 322-122-5.
35: Years of age for Volkanovski, who was born in Wollongong, Australia, on Sept. 29, 1988.
13: Volkanovski victories by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 50% of his career total (26). His victims outside the UFC include Jai Bradney, Jamie Mullarkey and Anton Zafir. Volkanovski holds three other wins by submission (12%) and 10 more by decision (38%).
79: Rounds completed by Volkanovski as a professional mixed martial artist. He has gone the distance on 11 different occasions and carries a 10-1 record in those bouts.
69: Total strikes by which Volkanovski outlanded Makhachev in their first meeting. He was credited with 164 connections while absorbing only 95 in return.
.731: Cumulative winning percentage between the 11 men—Rodriguez, Max Holloway (three times), Chan Sung Jung, Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Darren Elkins, Jeremy Kennedy, Shane Young, Mizuto Hirota and Yusuke Kasuya—Volkanovski has defeated in the UFC. They sport a combined record of 197-72-2.