“Alex Volkanovski, number one P4P in the world, against number two, Islam Makhachev, for the UFC lightweight title, and I am looking forward to this fight,” the American said in an interview with the UFC. “Volkanovski is good in all aspects, he moves up to lightweight, but there were times in his sporting career when he weighed 200 pounds (90 kg) playing rugby, so we are not talking about a natural featherweight, but a guy who weighed over 200 pounds – even I have never climbed that high.”
“I think he will have an advantage over Islam in striking technique and he is quite dangerous in grappling. He has good defense against takedowns, but whether he can stop the translations of Islam, only the fight will show. The fight with Max Holloway showed that Volkanovski has a high fighting IQ – he very competently combines work in the rack with work on the ground. Islam Makhachev’s approach is more straightforward – an exchange in the rack, a transfer, an attempt to complete the fight with a submission. Islam has proven that if you are very good at something and still believe in your skills and your style, it will work against most of your opponents, but Volkanovski is able to adapt well and change the plan for a fight.
Chandler is leaning towards the fact that the fight will go all the way and require a referee’s decision.
“As for the forecast, it is difficult to predict anything these days. We know that Makhachev can go out and crack down on Volkanovski because he’s bigger, stronger, and a better wrestler. But we have seen Volkanovski come out of very difficult situations, change his plan in the middle of a fight, use his fighting instincts and fighting IQ, and win. So if Islam comes out and can impose his will, take the fight down, maybe he won’t win the fight early, but it will be a dominant decision victory.”
“Volkanovski is good in all aspects and he can turn the tide in the second and third rounds. If Alex stops Islam’s takedowns and keeps the pace high, he will beat him on points and win by decision. One guy knows how to impose his will, and the other knows how to adapt and resist such tactics – all this makes the fight incredibly interesting, and I strongly recommend that you do not miss UFC 284.
Recall that the fight between Makhachev and Volkanovski, in which the Russian will put the UFC lightweight championship belt on the line, will head the UFC 284 tournament in Perth, Australia, on February 11.