- Bas Rutten shared his prediction on Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski title fight at UFC 284
- “El Guapo” thinks Volk can knock Islam out but both fighters can score a KO win
UFC 284 is fast approaching but to this day, it’s still hard to tell who would prevail between Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev. MMA legend Bas Rutten weighed in on the subject and said it’s not gonna be easy but Volk could possibly knock out Makhachev.
A big shot could get the job done
Speaking on Submission Radio, Rutten predicted that because Makhachev will surely opt to take the fight to the ground, Volkanovski should perfectly time how he could land a powerful as the lightweight champ shoots for a takedown.
“That’s gonna be hard but there’s no way Makhachev could come forward the entire time… Big shot! Everything needs to be a big shot. Whatever it is, fake a knee, fake a knee, the whole time. And I’m saying that because if Makhachev wants to come in for a takedown, if you constantly lift that leg a little bit… you paint a picture for him that he takes you down and then that knee comes out, he might knock you out,” Rutten assessed.
Volk can beat Islam
Rutten admitted that he’s been a huge fan of Volk and even though it’s seem impossible, he thinks “The Great” is the only fighter who could beat Makhachev.
“He’s a terminator, he has endless energy, he’s gonna come for Makhachev,” Rutten pictured. “The game plan is for Volkanovski, you would think is to keep it on the feet, but there we go again, that’s where Makhachev is going to believe he’s going to do, so, maybe Volkanovski should start to shoot in. Because I tell you Makhachev will not going to believe that because he’s more of a striker. So, it’s a tough fight man. I know Makhachev is steamrolling over everybody but Volkanovski, he impresses me every single time I see him fight. And if there’s a guy who can do it, I believe he can.”
A KO is inevitable
Stressing the fact that both Volkanovski and Makhachev got knocked out in the past, Rutten is not ruling out the possibility of a KO finish. Rutten evidently backs Volk but he also pointed out that it’s not impossible for “The Great” to get knocked out again.
“Both have been knocked out by the way, only once but both… I can only imagine the guy that knocked out Volkanovski…when you go on Wikipedia, his name is not even blue but you know he’s telling the world right now, ‘I knocked that guy out!’,” he said.
Makhachev is expected to grapple his way to victory, but his coach Javier Mendez thinks he wouldn’t finish Volkanovski on the ground. Volk, meanwhile, is certain he’s not gonna have problems dealing with Makhachev come fight night.
Volkanovski is currently the UFC’s pound-for-pound king but he aims to be a two-division champ heading into UFC 284. On the other hand, Makhachev, will look to have a memorable and successful first title defense as the lightweight champion.
UFC 284 will take place on Feb. 11 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
