Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski 2 Prediction: Can Volkanovski Get Revenge at UFC 294?
UFC 294 is this Saturday and Islam Makhachev facing Alexander Volkanovski again. Can Volkanovski get revenge at UFC 294? Ben Rajavuori breaks down this UFC fight.
Ben Rajavuori - October 21, 2023, 9:30 AM EDT
7 minIslam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski 2 Prediction: Can Volkanovski Get Revenge at UFC 294?
Charles Oliveira is out this weekend after suffering a cut in a sparring session, giving way for featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski to give it another crack at lightweight gold against Islam Makhachev once again. In the first fight, Makhachev edged out a close unanimous decision. Volkanovski is clearly still hungry to enter a short list of UFC fighters ever to become a double champion, and he will do so with a win tomorrow afternoon. Keep in mind the start time of this card, as the prelims start at 10:00 AM EST due to the fights being in Abu Dhabi.
Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023
- Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: PPV
Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski Prediction
With a win tomorrow, Islam Makhachev would surpass Alexander Volkanovski in the pound-for-pound rankings. Alexander Volkanovski is currently No. 2 behind Jon Jones, while Makhachev is just behind him at No. 3. This is a big match, not only for the lightweight division but for the entire UFC.
Alexander Volkanovski is clearly a future Hall of Famer and maybe the best featherweight of all time. He has defended his belt against the likes of Max Holloway (three times), Brian Ortega, Chan Sung Jung, and most recently Yair Rodriguez. Volkanovski is as athletic as they come, as he keeps his pace for five rounds and does not slow down. He averages 6.25 significant strikes per minute and landed 53 in the fifth round of this fight the first time, also scoring a knockdown on Makhachev. He clearly was the fresher fighter in the championship rounds the first time around, and I expect him to be this time around again.
For Islam Makhachev, he has had a dominant run in the UFC as well, going 13-1 in his 14 fights in the promotion. He has not been a champion as long, as he just took the belt from Charles Oliveira one year ago as of Sunday. He has only fought one true lightweight as champion, as his most recent fight was his first title defense against Volkanovski.
Makhachev is a dominant wrestler who is relentless with his wrestling. In the first fight, Makhachev landed four takedowns, landing one in each of the first four rounds. The only round he did not score a takedown was round 5. Makhachev averages 3.24 takedowns per 15 minutes, and I expect him to shoot a lot again in this fight to get it to the ground, where he knows he can win.
In the first fight, Volkanovski clearly had the edge on the feet. Alex landed 164 significant strikes to Makhachev's 95, nearly doubling him up. Volkanovski out-landed Islam 101-27 on the feet over the last two rounds, proving how much better his cardio is. I think Alex will win rounds four and five again because he is that good in the championship rounds, meaning he would need to win just one of the first three rounds to win the fight on the scorecards. To do this, Alex will have to keep this fight standing, but he has fought Islam once now, and his takedown defense improved as the fight went along. I like Volkanovski to keep this fight standing more and do what he does best and outstrike Islam to a win, evening this score 1-1 and becoming the double champ.
Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski Pick
Pick: Alexander Volkanovski ML +205 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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