Alexander Volkanovski credits UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for his calculated approach.
Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) defends his lightweight title in a rematch vs. Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), which headlines Saturday’s UFC 311 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+) event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
Volkanovski sees two contrasting styles in terms of their offensive approach, which he thinks caters more to Makhachev.
“Islam is safe enough,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “I think majority of his scrambles, Islam probably ends up in better positions because of them, and striking, he’s a lot more safe. I think Arman is a lot more aggressive, and he probably takes more risks, which could leave openings for Islam to land some shots and earn some points that way.
“But (it’s a) very, very fun fight – very, very competitive. But I think Islam edges him. Arman shouldn’t be that much of an underdog. Islam is that good, but so is Arman. I’m going to go with Islam, heavy favorite here, rightfully so. Both great fighters, Islam pound-for-pound still No. 1 right now.”
Volkanovski fought Makhachev twice in title fights – losing a razor-thin decision at UFC 284, then getting stopped in a short-notice rematch at UFC 294. The former UFC featherweight champion thinks Makhachev mixes things up perfectly.
“(He’s) so well-rounded, showing his striking, so I think Arman’s going to have trouble on the feet,” Volkanovski said. “Islam’s hard to find. For someone who’s a wrestler, you would think is a pressure fighter. He’s very good on the back foot. He’s very good at distance.
“He’s very good at catching you coming in, and when you’re really fully committed, he either catches you with punches, (and) if you commit and open yourself up, he’s got beautiful takedowns and beautiful shots. So I think there’s opportunities for him to edge the rounds.”
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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Alexander Volkanovski: Islam Makhachev’s safe approach helps him prevail vs. Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311
