Max Holloway is using along with his outdated nemesis, Alexander Volkanovski, to reclaim the featherweight title this weekend.
This Saturday, Volkanovski takes on Diego Lopes for the vacant featherweight belt in the principle occasion of UFC 314. It’s Volkanovski’s first combat again since dropping the title to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 final yr and a pivotal second within the profession of an all-time nice. Volkanovski is coming in off back-to-back knockout losses, and now he faces a surging Lopes, who’s on a five-fight successful streak. It’s an interesting matchup and one which Holloway might see going both method.
“There’s solely two methods I see this combat going,” Holloway mentioned on his YouTube channel. “If Alex is the winner, I believe he goes to classic Alex, stick and transfer, pop shot, and inside leg kicks, perhaps grapples, perhaps towards the fence some soiled boxing towards the cage, and he ekes out a choice, perhaps a unanimous determination.
“Or if Diego wins, it’s within the first three rounds. I believe Diego catches him. He begins like 100 miles per hour. He comes at you, and he’s like a loopy practice. He’s like a practice flying off the tracks. He comes operating at you, punching at you.”
Holloway has loads of expertise with “classic” Volkanovski.
The 2 shared 75 minutes of octagon time of their memorable trilogy, with Volkanovski successful all three bouts. However since their third combat, Volkanovski has had a tricky run, dropping three of his subsequent 4 bouts, together with brutal knockout losses to Islam Makachev and Ilia Topuria in his two most up-to-date fights. Volkanovski took a yr off to recuperate from his losses as he appears to reclaim what was as soon as his, and regardless of the considerations, Holloway believes he’ll get it completed.
“I believe essentially the most harmful a part of this combat is certainly the primary two rounds for Volk,” Holloway mentioned. “Perhaps three. But when Volk goes to classic Volk, sticking and shifting, leg kicking, being sensible, getting him towards the cage, perhaps even take him down right here and there. I do know Diego has nice jiu-jitsu, nice grappling, [but] Volk trains with one of many biggest grapplers on the earth, Craig Jones. …
“On the finish of the day, I believe Volk ought to recapture, however I can see Diego capturing it and catching Volk. However it’s MMA. Shit occurs. I’ve been flawed many occasions.”
UFC 314 takes place this Saturday at Kaseya Middle in Miami.
