Alexander Volkanovski refuses to wager towards Islam Makhachev in the primary occasion of UFC 302, however he does imagine Dustin Poirier has a stable likelihood if he makes use of his southpaw stance to fluster his opponent.
Volkanovski is aware of Makhachev nicely. The 2 went to a razor skinny break up resolution at UFC 284, after which he misplaced a fast last-minute alternative combat towards the Dagestani at UFC 294. In a brand new video breaking down the June 1st pay-per-view, “The Nice” shared his prediction for the cardboard’s most important occasion.
“Islam’s gonna be too good,” he declared. “I feel he’s too secure of a fighter to make errors the place he’s gonna get caught towards somebody like Dustin Poirier. Dustin Poirier is a good fighter. I simply assume it’s a tough combat for anyone and I don’t see anybody beating Islam for some time. Except they catch him, proper?”
And Poirier is the kind of man who might catch anybody, particularly contemplating he’s a left handed striker. Volk detailed Makhachev’s takedown type and famous the Dagestani wrestler’s normal takedown would put his head proper in keeping with Dustin’s energy hand.
“He doesn’t like to return in straight when he feels at risk,” Volkanovski stated of Makhachev. “He’ll be sure he’s off middle. His head is off line after which he will get himself again into a greater posture as he’s taking you down. Khabib was like this as nicely. The posture just isn’t proper, however he’s doing this to maintain his head off middle and never within the firing line, and he nonetheless does an ideal takedown from there.”
“However now he’s gonna be doing that with a southpaw fighter. So that you dip, you’re gonna be much more comfy capturing. So if somebody pressures you and will get you off guard, or your intuition response is to shoot, more often than not you’re capturing towards orthodox fighters, your head’s gonna dip to that facet. Now you’re dipping to the facility facet of Poirier as a result of he’s southpaw. Energy facet uppercuts, energy facet kicks, energy facet knees.”
Volkanovski added that he anticipated Makhachev and his camp to regulate and keep away from placing his head at risk. However as he famous, if issues get loopy then the default usually comes again, or a fighter spends a lot time worrying in regards to the left that they get caught with an enormous proper … like Islam did in his sole MMA loss to Adriano Martins.
“I feel the one time [Makhachev] ever obtained knocked out was towards a southpaw,” Volk stated. “Once more, you normally go exterior the jab, now it’s your energy facet. So it’s it’s a bit of bit awkward.”
Ultimately, although, Alex continues to be choosing Islam to win.
“I don’t assume he’s gonna take an excessive amount of danger on the on the toes as a result of Dustin Poirier has nice palms, nice putting. I don’t assume he’s gonna play … I feel Islam is that good the place it’s gonna be a end. I feel it’s gonna be a submission end. Is it within the later rounds, or can he get it carried out right away? Can he get on high, work him, pour on his solution to getting wrapped up through bare choke? We’ve got seen that.”
The one solution to discover out for positive is to tune in when UFC 302 goes down from New Jersey on June 1st. Hold it locked to MMAMania.com for all of the information and particulars from this card from the primary prelims to the excessive stakes most important occasion.
