Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria places his title on the road for the primary time within the UFC 308 principal occasion towards former titleholder Max Holloway. Fellow former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski weighed in on the matchup throughout an interview with Kevin Iole.
Volkanovski received the 145-pound title by defeating Holloway in Dec. 2019. Topuria captured the featherweight championship by defeating Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February. He holds three wins over Holloway and has educated for and been within the octagon with Topuria.
Topuria has an intensive background in grappling, however Volkanovski does not suppose it might be clever to try to Holloway down.
“Max has acquired nice takedown protection, so I simply suppose it’ll be very arduous for Ilia to get it there and maintain him there. Getting him down is fairly difficult, and submitting I feel can be fairly tough for Ilia. I feel Ilia would know that,” Volkanovski mentioned.
“I feel for him to try to search for the takedown towards somebody like Max might put on on him much more, you already know, the gasoline tank,” Volkanovski continued. “Max can do all of it day. We all know that. He is confirmed it time and time once more. I feel it will likely be fairly tough for him to get him to the mat, to be trustworthy.”
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Volkanovski identified the variations in preventing types. Holloway is a quantity sticker identified for his endurance and sturdiness. Topuria is extra of a stalking fighter with knockout energy. If the struggle goes to the later rounds, Volkanovski is excited by how Topuria handles Holloway’s relentless output.
“That is going to be an actual good take a look at for Ilia. If Ilia does not catch him early, you are actually going to see how he handles being uncomfortable,” Volkanovski mentioned. “Within the cage, even earlier than he fought within the UFC, he hasn’t actually dealt with that an excessive amount of. He is had some adversities however not on that stage, not if you’re crumbling.”
“Clearly, Max has been there 1,000,000 occasions,” Volkanovski continued. “He is simply going to get increasingly comfy because the struggle goes the place that is unknown territory for Ilia towards somebody at that stage.”
Alexander Volkanovski’s UFC 308 principal occasion prediction
“Ilia’s an amazing fighter,” Volkanovksi mentioned. “Max has confirmed himself time and time once more. Look who Max has fought.
“I simply suppose the place Ilia is robust, he may nonetheless have difficulties with Max. Even when he does land them massive photographs, Max is understood for that granite chin. I feel it’ll be tougher than he thinks to land on Max, however even when he does there is a good probability Max can take them. Because the struggle goes I feel it’ll be even tougher,” Volkanovski continued.