Prediction for the fight Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez

Without exaggeration, the legendary mixed martial arts venue - T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, will host the UFC 290 anniversary tournament on July 9. It is a great honor to lead it to the second number of the P4P rating, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. The fight with him is not for the usual contender, but for the owner of the temporary belt, Yair Rodriguez. Potentially, we are waiting for one of the best matches of the year in the category up to 66 kg. So where will the title go: Australia or Mexico? Let's figure it out.

• Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez;
• Alexander Volkanovski;
• Yair Rodriguez;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez

Alexander Volkanovski

Champion for the 4th year in a row, the Aussie remains undefeated at 66kg, and is considered one of the best all-rounders of the entire UFC roster. It combines the schools of Greco-Roman wrestling, kickboxing and BJJ (black belt). This allowed Alex to "champion" in the RMMA (in two divisions) and Australian FC (also in two weight divisions). The recent run into the lightweight category was only a small hint of Volkanovski's future plans in the world's top league.

Strengths

Phenomenal cardio, high skill on the ground, both on the part of the attacker and defender, as well as effective kickboxing along with endless pressure - these are the main advantages of the "Great". In addition, he is one of the smartest and most prudent fighters in the promotion, who is able to switch from the counter-punch mode to the first number and vice versa. Flaws, at this stage of his career, he has a minimum.

Weaknesses

After the fight with Makhachev, it became clear that Alex, as he allowed himself to miss too much in the standing position, continues to do so, relying on a strong jaw. His fearlessness regarding personal invulnerability on the ground and in the stand will definitely come out sideways to him, and it is not at all excluded that a comeback to featherweight could be just that moment.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Alexander is 34 years old, and if not for the jump to the lightweight division, his winning streak would have consisted of 23 victories. Having surpassed Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, Ortega and the "Korean Zombie", Volkanovski decided to hunt for a larger fish - Makhachev, and he almost succeeded. Now, he will have to drive a lot of weight again, which promises both the return of former speeds and the complexity of recovery. No doubt the champion will be ready, as he always has been, but his constant talk of a rematch with Islam might make you wonder if Rodriguez is being underestimated?

Yair Rodriguez

Perhaps the most successful taekwondo adept in MMA has finally become a UFC champion, albeit an interim one. Yair is a phenomenal striker, black belt in the aforementioned discipline, winner of The Ultimate Fighter, winner of 7 bonuses for the best fights of the evening, and a well-deserved top contender. But in this case, there is no question of confident dominance in the division on his part.

Strengths

Rodriguez has an endless arsenal of tricks and homework, for which it is impossible to prepare in advance. He perfectly combines kicks with elbows, jump kicks and much more, almost instantly raising the pace of the meeting and skillfully luring the opposition to himself. In addition, El Panther does not avoid cutting, trying to grind the enemy in head-on collisions.

Weaknesses

Without exaggeration, the average level of training on the ground, sometimes thoughtlessly throwing opponents with blows, with a parallel decrease in the quality of their own defense, as well as rare appearances in the octagon, make it impossible to talk about Yair as a stable fighter. This includes the Mexican's workrate, which noticeably decreases in the championship segments, especially when it comes to wrestling and clinches during the meeting.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Rodriguez is only 30, and after a failure in the confrontation with Max Holloway, he defeated Brian Ortega, although there the injury became the hero of the occasion, and the aged Josh Emmett, who managed to pat Yair on the ground floor. Such a track record is unlikely to impress Volkanovski, although he will have to deal with a selfless Mexican who will give his life for another opportunity to become a champion. It is this attitude that you should expect from El Panthera.

Comparative analysis

The alignment of forces, according to bookmakers, is almost 1 to 4 in favor of Alexander. But we repeat: he is in for a tough weight race, he has become overconfident to some extent, and lately too many dominant champions have lost their belts. With an identical arm span, Yair will have a height advantage, which is not a problem for Volkanovski. It will be completely different - the starting flurry of blows from Rodriguez, who very skillfully meets opponents with tight hits, and the roles in this fight will be exactly the same: the Australian advances, the Mexican counters him.

And looking at how Alex was staggering from Makhachev’s not the strongest hits, it becomes scary for him, again, given the aforementioned need to drive more than 10 kg. Be that as it may, the “Great” will not slow down, like Emmett, will press to the victory, and if he fails in the rack, welcome to the canvas. There, Yair will literally do nothing, because in this situation, Victoria will be in the champion's pocket. And here we should expect that the applicant will be able to endure damage until the fight is stopped by the doctors or he loses consciousness, so you should not expect a fleeting match total over (4,5) 1.82.

Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez Prediction

Can we expect a KO from Rodriguez? Of course, there is a possibility of such an outcome, but it is not worth projecting this onto a specific opportunity to make a winning bet. It is much more appropriate to use any options after the line extension, starting from total over (2.5-3.5) - this is the best you can count on if you dismiss Volkanovski's triumph with a low odds. Otherwise, there are no serious reasons to doubt his victory, given all Yair's shortcomings. Only a laquipunch, when the fight takes on a steady pace, can lead to an upset. Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Alexander Volkanovski / total over (2.5) and higher