Laura Sanko has detailed how Alexander Volkanovski can defeat Islam Makahchev at UFC 284.
There has been plenty of discussions about how Makhachev can retain the UFC lightweight championship. On the contrary, Volkanovski has been questioned more than defended for his paths to victory.
During an interview with Submission Radio, Sanko was asked how ‘The Great’ can keep the Russian from dominating with his grappling. She responded by saying:
“I honestly think that body mechanics are gonna be a bigger factor in this fight than we probably wanna talk about. We always talk about styles and stats and things like that, but I genuinely believe that Alex’s build is a big point of discussion for this fight. And when I say that, level changing on someone who is significantly shorter, sturdier, he’s a unit… It’s just a different look.”
Sanko was then presented with the idea of Volkanovski performing better against taller opponents. The UFC commentator had this to say:
“100% and he has very long arms. His arms are not necessarily proportionate to his height. He has a deceptively long range for being a shorter guy, which really negates some of the reach that we are discussing. His ability to close distance, if he wants to, is amazing. His angles are incredible. His speed in the pocket is incredible. His eyes in the pocket. I mean, he has a lot of attributes that people might be sleeping on because everyone is hung up on size and Islam’s dominance in the grappling.”
Watch Submission Radio’s interview with Laura Sanko below:
Laura Sanko discusses Alexander Volkanovski implementing leg kicks against Islam Makhachev
Alexander Volkanovski is being somewhat overlooked, especially considering the betting odds have the number one pound-for-pound fighter as a 3-1 underdog. During the same interview with Submission Radio, Laura Sanko was asked if Volkanovski has to have a perfect fight to beat Islam Makhachev. The former Invicta fighter shut down that ideology by saying:
“I don’t know if he has to fight the perfect fight. That’s a little bit of a stretch. I can see Alex winning rounds. I really can. As long as he can be really shifty laterally and frustrate the attempts of Islam to get in on his hips or get in on his body. He’s gonna be able to point fight from, for what him is, the outside… Leg kicking and body kicking is not advisable against Islam, but calf kicking, that’s certainly on the table… I’m genuinely genuinely jazzed.”
On February 11, Volkanovski looks to further his legacy by becoming a two-division UFC champion. Standing in his way will be Khabib Nurmagomedov’s longtime training partner, who has looked nearly unbeatable since losing his second UFC fight. Although ‘The Great’ has a tough challenge ahead of him, the reigning featherweight champion will have the crowd on his side in Perth, Australia.