Prediction for the fight Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway

Often, trilogies between fighters are organized if their score in terms of won fights is equal. However, in the case of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, everything is different - Alex won the first meeting confidently, and in the second he retained the title “on thin”. That is why the UFC management decided to bring them together again, because a large part of the fans are sure that it was Max who took the dilogy.

In the second most important fight at the UFC 276 tournament, which will take place on July 3, the current and former champion will meet in the octagon to finally reveal the strongest featherweight on the planet. This confrontation will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and the guys will be given the opportunity to put an end to this story, which has been going on for about two years.

Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway

Alexander Volkanovski

For Alex, holding the title is a familiar thing, not only has he defended his belt four times, but even during his performances in his native Australia, he had the opportunity to lead several divisions in various MMA organizations. At 77kg, "The Great" took the Cage Conquest and Roshambo MMA league belts (also at 70kg), at lightweight he was the best in the Wollongong Wars, and at 66kg he held the AFC and PXG titles.

Since December 2019, Volkanovski has been the UFC champion, but in addition to that, he had an amateur career in Greco-Roman wrestling, and to improve his ground skills, he did BJJ, where he owns a black belt. Alexander has fought many fights against the top opposition, and at the moment he is already eyeing the UFC lightweight division, where he also wants to become a champion.

Strengths

It is due to this quality that Alex wins fights. He is good at movement, and can instantly change the attack distance, aiming from a distance with kicks, and discharging in short bursts on the body and head.

Stance is definitely the strongest side of the champion. He throws about a third of his blows in the form of kicks, not only providing himself with superiority in controlling the combat space, but also forcing opponents to retreat. Bundles of punching series from arms and legs, shifts, a good clinch - all this is backed up by good pace and a sense of timing.

The Australian does not forget about his roots - wrestling, and we have to admit that he is very good in close combat. The champion knows how to tie the opponent at the net, keep him there, translate and control on the ground. Due to the muscle mass and small stature, passages to the legs are easier for him, and thanks to this, mobility on the ground floor increases.

Alex is one of those unique players who can deliver great technical and tactical fights while working at a high pace for 25 minutes. The resulting damage and even cuts are not able to tire him, and, in fact, thanks to this quality, he outperformed those who were unable to maintain his pace.

Weaknesses

Turning to dry statistics, it is worth noting that Volkanovski's defense is not as good as everything else. About three times in a minute he misses accurate accented blows, and the same Max managed to convey haikiki to his head, which seriously shook the champion. Neither the footwork nor the raised hands save him from missed, although this is only true in fights with punchers.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Alexander is 33 years old, his last victory was in the confrontation with the "Korean Zombie" in April of this year. In the UFC, the fighter remains undefeated (11-0) assuming he fought the best: Holloway, Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, Chad Mendes and more. Now Volkanovski is at the peak of his form, and experience has been added to his physical abilities, as well as a high fighting IQ. Together, this made him the dominant champion of the division, so in the upcoming performance he has every chance to show his best form in his career.

Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway

Max Holloway

After only 4 professional fights, Max was signed to the UFC, having an X-1 title under his belt, and a base in kickboxing. In the future, the athlete successfully increased momentum, going through fights with guys like Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor - despite his weak physics and limited arsenal, he managed to give his opponents tough fights every time.

The presence of a purple belt in BJJ does not make Holloway a strong partner, although this did not prevent him from becoming a UFC champion and defending his belt three times. That's what makes him unique - he doesn't wrestle, doesn't swing his legs or clinch very skillfully, but at the same time remains one of the most dangerous in the featherweight division, sweeping away opponents with boxing alone.

Strengths

Strength and accuracy - these are not the ones that showed due to which the ex-champion overcomes the opposition. But the volume and total tonnage is exactly what you need. Holloway hits series, which can periodically consist of 8-10 hits, simply throwing his opponents with his fists. Hit after hit helps to find gaps in the defense, as well as completely break the pace of the fight, focusing the opponent's attention only on defense and movement.

"Blessed" realizes himself in the best way, working as the first number. To win, he needs pressure and an average distance for attacks. And, we have to admit, he dictates his conditions superbly, forcing opponents to play by his rules.

The biggest problem for Max's opposition is that, unlike mere mortals, he opens up in the late rounds, pushing hard and setting a crazy pace. And it would seem that in this case it can be stopped with heavy blows, but no. The jaw of the Hawaiian withstood the hardest hits of even lightweights, therefore, at 66 kg, few people can become a real threat to him.

Weaknesses

Despite all its uniqueness, Holloway is not without flaws. He does not practice fighting in the octagon, he is not famous for a good base of kicks, although he still uses front kicks to the body, and in general, without such cardio, his whole game would have failed long ago, because Max’s style can be read, and this was seen in his fights with Alex. Shortcomings in defense, stubborn unwillingness to change the plan for battle and one-sidedness clearly prevent him from giving 100% of his capabilities.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Max is only 30 years old. His downtime has been going on since November 2021, due to injuries sustained during training camp. In five performances, he happened to lose to Volkanovski twice, but this does not detract from the fact that he rolled Kattar, Edgar and Yair Rodriguez clean. Holloway has been in peak condition for the last few years, but technically his growth is not so noticeable. But, to maintain the highest pace and box like a master, he can, as before, and one would like to believe that the extended vacation has given him opportunities to improve in other aspects of the fight.

Comparative analysis

Let's start with anthropometry, as there is a very interesting situation here. Max is seriously superior to Alex in height - almost 13 centimeters, but at the same time inferior to him in reach by a good 5 centimeters. Due to the fact that the guys perfectly control the distance of the battle, these indicators will not give anyone a global advantage, but the style with which Volkanovski breaks into the medium-close attack range has already caused trouble for the ex-champion. We also include lowkicks here, with which the title holder destroyed the opponent's legs, depriving him of mobility and disrupting a series of blows.

In the standing position, judging by the past two fights, there is no favorite, but still, with a minimum margin, Alexander looks better there, and this is solely due to the fact that his kickboxing base is more extensive and diverse. Max, on the other hand, takes the volume of the work performed, thanks to which he evens out the situation in individual scenes. In the clinch, due to the difference in size, it is difficult for the guys to develop success, but when it comes to transfers and work on the ground, Volkanovski pulls ahead.

His wrestling skills are noticeably better, his control is more effective, and his ground and pound is sharper. Also, do not forget that Alex charges much heavier than the enemy. Summing up all of the above: if the guys do not change their tactics radically, then we will have another protracted duel, with an abundance of movements and a cautious start. The champion will work as the second number, gradually pulling the enemy apart and flying into him with explosive series. Holloway will shoot kicks to the body, but will focus on pressing and boxing. Everything will be decided in the later rounds, when both will start to work more openly, and here the one who corny better sets the distance and takes care of reliable protection will prevail.

Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway Fight Prediction

A trilogy between Volkanovski and Holloway is unlikely to be some kind of discovery. They are both young, have enough material to appreciate each other, and still retain their best qualities. That is why you should not wait for fireworks, because too much is at stake and at this level the slightest mistake will be fatal. Stylistically, Alexander is uncomfortable for Max, and it is to be expected that he will do his kicker job even better than usual and may try to add some wrestling in the duel, which will give him the opportunity to strengthen his status as a favorite. The applicant, for example, will not be able to do this, because once again he will have to put everything exclusively on boxing. Taking into account all the variables, there is more confidence in the victory of the champion, although I am convinced that the third fight will be the most difficult for him of all the previous ones. Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Alexander Volkanovski to win.

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