Paths to Victory: How Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez can thunder the featherweight title at UFC 290

It’s Worldwide Attempt in opposition to Week and also you understand what that method: The largest fights of the twelve months are on deck as UFC 290 rolls into Las Vegas this Saturday.

In primarily probably the most important match, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski makes his return to the 145-pound division to sq. off with meantime champion Yair Rodriguez in a combat to unite the belts. A catch might perchance further cement Volkanovski as one among the many preferrred of all-time, whereas a loss would point out the prolonged-awaited arrival of Rodriguez. Who will catch and why? Let’s steal a uncover.

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After rising truthful acceptable quick in his try and thunder a second title, Volkanovski returns to the division the place he made his title to steal on arguably his most unhealthy opponent to this point. And to construct up the catch, Volkanovski goes to like to make use of all of his many skills.

For deal of of his contemporary pace, Volkanovski’s inserting has been the straw that stirs the drink for the champ. He’s now now not an enormous knockout artist however he has immediate palms, aesthetic footwork, and mental timing. That, blended with a precise defensive acumen, and his potential to adapt on the cruise, has allowed him to fragment up guys love Max Holloway and Chan Sung Jung. In opposition to Rodriguez although, he’ll primarily ought to at all times use these devices to dwelling up takedowns.

Rodriguez is an exceedingly unhealthy striker, and whereas he does possess 4 occupation submission wins, together with an armbar in opposition to Josh Emmett in his latest combat, the truth is that Rodriguez is unlikely to present worthy extreme offense from his help, extra so the specter of offense. Rodriguez will elbow and assault with triangles and armbars, however Volkanovski is a staunch adequate prime web site grappler the place that gained’t in truth share him. As but another, the champion can merely sit down on prime and put on down the younger dynamo. The extra he can operate that, the a lot much less explosive Rodriguez turns into and the easier it’s to steal him down once more, and so on and so forth.

If this grew to become as soon as a straight kickboxing match, Rodriguez would clearly be most well-liked to catch. He’s the less complicated finisher and extra dynamic striker. Volkanovski would now now not be out of it although, and that’s key right here. Volkanovski ought to at all times be ready to compete with Rodriguez at range, use his pressuring footwork to help the meantime champion as rather a lot because the fence, after which land his combos and chain into takedowns. From there, it’s a replay of the Jose Aldo combat for Volkanovski, grinding away until Rodriguez has nothing left to present.

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Paths to victory for Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290

Rodriguez is a dynamic, fluid striker with explosive ending capabilities from every and every that it’s seemingly you will perhaps trust angle — and now now not decrease than seemingly circumstances that it’s seemingly you will perhaps trust. That’s going to be the one largest key to beating Volkanovski: The specter of a violent cease at any second in time. Volkanovski is aware of that any lapse in give attention to Saturday might perchance cease poorly for him, and Rodriguez needs to pressure that stage home early, flashing a variety of assaults to present Volkanovski the rotund gamut of issues to ache about. Worrying causes hesitation, and he who hesitates is misplaced.

Alongside these strains, establishing a risk goes to require dedicated offense in multiples. Volkanovski is a very reasonable acceptable defensive fighter when he needs to be (generally he can focal stage extra on attacking, and when he does so, his safety slips like it did in opposition to Makhachev) and that method that single-shot assaults at the moment are now not going to crop it. Rodriguez needs to assault collectively, making Volkanovski defend primarily probably the most important, second, and third salvos, in state of affairs of 1 and separate.

The largest key for Rodriguez to catch, although, can be discovering constant offense, which I ponder can occur most readily in his kicking sport. Whereas Volkanovski beat Max Holloway and fought correctly in opposition to Islam Makhachev, the size wait on every and every males had on him grew to become as soon as noticeable and gave him issues, particularly with their kicks. Makhachev in express had massive success with kicks to the physique after which counter pictures up prime when Volkanovski steps in, and Rodriguez needs as a mode to copy that offense.

Lastly, however significantly, Rodriguez can now now not consent to wrestling. As talked about above, Volkanovski goes to come back by to steal Rodriguez down, and if he acquiesces and makes an try to play guard, that’s tantamount to resign. Rodriguez needs to remain inviting on the toes, invent it refined for Volkanovski to shoot takedowns, and combat love hell at any time when the champion does pressure a clinch. And if he does accumulate taken down, use these corrupt elbows to gentle Volkanovski up after which kick him off and accumulate help to the toes.

X-Elements

Volkanovski is popping 35 in three months. Some people ponder this doesn’t point out worthy, however I ponder it is going to seemingly be terribly important, as a result of as a result of it stands, Volkanovski is the second-oldest champion in UFC historic previous beneath welterweight. The one man older than him, Deiveson Figueiredo, grew to become as soon as 35 coming into this latest combat with Brandon Moreno and we seen how that went.

It is exceedingly refined to prevail on the preferrred stage in lighter weight divisions. Volkanovski is already an outlier with what he’s doing, and now we’re talking a pair of man coming off his first loss in a decade and alluring help down a weight class. Perhaps it gained’t point out the leisure. At least, Volkanovski didn’t uncover any sort of diminished in opposition to Makhachev. However generally talking, Volkanovski is sort of a flash drawing discontinuance the tip of his prime, and when that occurs in these weight classes, the autumn comes immediate.

Prediction

What makes Volkanovski so staunch is his deep correctly of devices and his skilled combat IQ, which paired collectively invent him a nightmare for deal of opponents. I’ve outdated the analogy to tell Volkanovski forward of, however as a result of he is so skilled and so orderly, and frequently makes the best picks, I possess him as The Dwelling within the Las Vegas: Play adequate video video games, on a protracted adequate timeline and the home frequently wins. So how operate you beat that? Neatly, to steal Danny Ocean’s line, you wager essential on that one excellent hand, after which you steal The Dwelling. And Yair Rodriguez is one among the many few opponents at featherweight than can in truth wager essential. Brian Ortega practically did it, and I ponder Rodriguez, in opposition to a a tiny of slowed mannequin of Volkanovski, can accumulate it completed on Saturday.

Yair Rodriguez def. Alexander Volkanovski by KO (head kick) at 3:16 of spherical 3.