The fight was a down-to-the-wire affair, and many fans were left wondering who'd get their hand raised at the end of the night. So let's look at the fight round by round and see if we agree with the judges' decision.

Official Result:

Islam Makhachev stuns Alexander Volkanovski with a big left hand. Credits to: Zuffa LLC

Islam Makhachev defeats Alexander by unanimous decision. (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)

The official scorecards for Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski.

Round 1:

The round began with a tentative feeling-out process between the two before Volkanovski opened with a few leg kicks and a good straight down the middle. He pressed forward, only to be dropped down to a knee by a counter and pushed against the fence, where he'd be taken down and threatened on the ground for the remainder of the round. The clear advantage in striking and grappling belongs to Makhachev in this round.

Verdict Scorecard: 10-9 Makhachev. (Clear Round)

Judges Scorecards: 10-9 Makhachev x3

Round 2:

Both fighters have felt the power of the other and are cautious about engaging. Lots of footwork and feints start us off before Volk appears to land a heavy shot against the fence, looking like a knockdown. A closer look at the replay shows that Volkanovski missed the punch and Islam stumbled as he backed into the cage and shot for a takedown. This greatly affected the way this round was scored. Islam responds with a takedown and then some control time against the fence. They reverse and move back to the center, where Islam sends Volk wobbling backward with a massive strike. He lands again, and Volkanovski holds position against the cage, recovering until the end of the round.

Verdict Scorecard: 10-9 Volkanovski. (Close Round)

Judges Scorecard: 10-9 Makhachev x3

Round 3:

They trade strikes to the head before Islam lands a heavy body kick returned by a leg kick. Islam shoots and gets some control time on the fence. They reverse and break, and a few big glancing blows land for Volk. They stay in the middle, and Islam lands a good one. Volk pressures and chips away for the remainder of the round.

Verdict Scorecard: 10-9 Volkanovski. (Close Round)

Judges Scorecards:

Ben Cartlidge 10-9 Volkanovski

David Lethaby 10-9 Volkanovski

Derek Cleary 10-9 Makhachev

Round 4:

Islam is landing shots here and there on the feet. He's throwing a diverse arsenal of strikes, boom, takedown. Islam times a picture-perfect double leg in the center and transitions to the back as Volk crawls to the cage. He drags him back down and has a fully locked-in body triangle with 3 minutes left. He threatens the rear-naked choke and lands shots from the back as Volk pitterpatters with his own fists and shouts. Another clear edge in the striking and grappling to Makhachev.

Verdict Scorecard: 10-9 Makhachev. (Clear Round)

Judges Scorecard: 10-9 Makhachev x3

Round 5:

Islam starts the round with a big right hand and a follow-up. Volk begins chipping away with leg kicks. Islam cuts Volkanovski wide by the left eye and lands a takedown. They return to the feet, and Volk denies another attempt at bringing the fight to the mat. Huge left-hand lands as Islam closes the distance and they go down with a minute left. Volkanovski tries to rain down shots, but Islam controls the hands. Alas, a few get through, and the fight is over.

Verdict Scorecard: 10-9 Volkanovski. (Clear Round)

Judges Scorecard: 10-9 Volkanovski x3

The Verdict Scorecard for Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski.

As The Verdict Scorecard indicates, while the slight edge is given to Volkanovski, this fight was extremely close, with round 2 being the deciding factor. A 48-47 scorecard for either fighter is acceptable, but 49-46 seems like a bit of a reach from Derek Cleary.

Did you agree with the decision and/or Verdict Scorecard? Let us know in the comments below.