The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight talents Aleksandar Volkanowski and Jair Rodriguez will face TONIGHT (Saturday, July 8, 2023) at UFC 290 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Volkanovsky hit the featherweight division so hard that he was awarded a free lightweight title shot. He came within inches of dethroning Islam Makhachev, but didn’t earn the nod, returning to 145 pounds without sacrificing a bit of his glamor. Now, the Australian champion is looking to re-establish his grip on the title picture and once again consolidate the title.
Standing in front of him is Pantera, one of the most talented fighters ever to enter the Octagon. His athletic talent hasn’t always equated to elite wins, but Rodriguez seems to be in the best fighting shape of his career in the past two years. It differs significantly from the usual MMA template, and we will see if this style matches well with the champion.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for every man:
Alexander Volkanovsky
register: 25-2
Major wins: Max Holloway (UFC 276, UFC 251, UFC 245), Brian Ortega (UFC 266), Jose Aldo (UFC 237), Chad Mendes (UFC 232), Chan Sung Jung (UFC 273)
Major losses: Islam Makhachev (UFC 284)
Keys to victory: Volkanovski is a strategist with a combination of first-class cross-country and athletic skills needed to adapt even to elite opposition. He can move forward or off his back foot, struggle amazingly to attack or defend, and survive even the worst of situations.
It’s been a while since Volkanovski really put pressure on an opponent. Since he rose to the championship picture, he has been largely fighting at a distance and wrestling occasionally. It’s time to pull the old game plan out of the closet and stand up to his opponent against one of the most ferocious players in the sport.
Volkanovski is really a smart pressure fighter. He knows how to cut the cage in the safest way, how to simultaneously threaten his opponent with takedowns and punches, and how to take advantage when his back hits the fence. Volkanovsky doesn’t have to dive into the fire and walk through the heavy shots to press—he’s just better for that.
Patient pressure, kick counter and takedowns are the way to champion victory.
Yair Rodriguez
register: 15-3
Major wins: Josh Emmett (UFC 284), Brian Ortega (UFC Long Island), Jeremy Stephens (UFC on ESPN 6), Chan Sung Jung (UFC Fight Night 139), BJ Penn (UFC Fight Night 103), Dan Hooker (UFC 192) .
Major losses: Max Holloway (UFC Vegas 42), Frankie Edgar (UFC 211)
Keys to victory: Rodriguez is a silly natural athlete with a deep taekwondo background. The result of this combination is an extraordinarily deep arsenal of powerful and fast strikes that can really come from any direction. His boxing and wrestling aren’t very proven, but the Mexican athlete is a serious submission fighter, which means he’s always able to force an end.
Rodriguez wants this fight on his feet. Specifically, he wants the exact range where he can relentlessly hit Volkanovski’s torso with left kicks. From his first professional loss to his last against Makhachev, Volkanovski has shown he has no easy answer to Southbow’s powerful long left kicks.
Well, nobody really does. It’s one of the best weapons in hitting, and Rodriguez has a great one.
If Rodriguez can hold his weapon at a distance and get Volkanovski away from him a bit, his game opens up. When Pantera flaps and pairs his feints along with actual lightning fast kicks, his offense is incredibly difficult to handle. Additionally, his intense focus on the body and low kicks will help slow Volkanovski down, making his speed even more impressive.
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There is only one featherweight champion coming in on Sunday morning.
Volkanovski is aiming for the current pound sterling double as well as working his way up the all time lists. Each win strengthens his argument in both, and more title defenses create more opportunities to jump up to 155 pounds. And try again to claim a second title. Still looking at the top of his game, Volkanowski clearly wants to ramp up the juice he can squeeze while at this peak.
As for Rodriguez, Volkanovski’s close loss to Makhachev won’t diminish the potential upset. Aside from giving Mexico a third undisputed champion, dethroning Volkanovski would be a great moment. It’s a huge feather in Rodriguez’s cap, proof that his long run to the belt was the right move.
At UFC 290, Aleksander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez will battle it out in the main event. Which man leaves the cage as a hero?