Fight prediction Aleksandr Volkanovski vs Diego Lopez

Alexander Volkanovski has been at the helm of the featherweight division for so long that it’s strange to see him as a contender. However, on April 13, he will fight Diego Lopez for the vacant title, headlining UFC 314. There is a lot of debate in society: is this the same Alex we are used to seeing? This makes it doubly interesting whether he is capable of stopping a highly rated prospect, whom he would have simply eaten 3-4 years ago.

• Aleksandr Volkanovski vs Diego Lopez;
• Aleksandr Volkanovski;
• Diego Lopez;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Aleksandr Volkanovski vs Diego Lopez

Aleksandr Volkanovski

"The Great" is ranked number 1. Being a champion is in his blood, because in Australia, he collected a collection of five belts from the CageConquest, Roshambo MMA, PXC, AFC and Wollongong Wars leagues, and even fought there in three divisions. By the way, he also has a black BJJ belt.

He defended his belt five times in the UFC, and before the meeting with Makhachev, he brought profit to bettors who were betting on his victory 22 times in a row. But two defeats to Islam, diluted by a victory over Yair Rodriguez, and a heavy knockout from Topuria, led him to the status of a veteran, which is seriously doubted.

Strengths

Despite his anthropometric shortcomings, Volkanovski is very good at working from a distance thanks to footwork and well-trained kickboxing. He is not a knockout artist, but he unloads quite tightly, combining striking with wrestling when appropriate. His main tricks are: tempo, cardio, increasing speed and impressive experience behind him, because he fought, let us recall, even in the welterweight division.

Weaknesses

Even during the trilogy with Holloway, Alex would run into his high kick every now and then and even get knocked down. Makhachev only pointed out the presence of this gap in his defense, which has not gone away. Now, a broken jaw, age and fear of missing have been added to this, which greatly limits the wide arsenal of the ex-champion.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Alexander is 36 years old, and in the featherweight division, this is not the best indicator for someone who is going to become a champion. By the way, at this age, no one has been able to do this, at least in the UFC. But despite all the accumulated weaknesses, Volkanovski is still very good technically and will certainly not let him down functionally. Therefore, there is a high probability that the opponent's skills will not be enough, even for a battered veteran.

Diego Lopez

Let's remember that before his victory over Ortega, Diego was ranked 14th, and now he is ranked 3rd. In a way, this reflects his readiness to fight against one of the best featherweights in history. Be that as it may, Lopez has been a champion in 4 mid-level promotions, holds a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and has pleased betting fans with bets on his victory 5 times in a row. Although, apart from the same Ortega, Ige and Yusuff, he has not surpassed anyone outstanding.

Strengths

The Brazilian started very powerfully, giving out knockouts and submissions – he is really skilled at this. Loading up on strikes from the start, Diego can quickly switch to the clinch or the ground, every now and then stunning the opposition with a change in the vector of attack. He is a young, aggressive in a sporty way, and technical on the floor fighter who is still searching for his strongest side.

Weaknesses

Lopez has some cardio deficiencies, and his sprints often ended with a slowdown. In addition, he does not demonstrate the same technique with masters of the ground game as with strikers, whom he knocks down, and in the opposite situation, he can eat a lot of punches. That is, the guy is raw, but has already reached the elite, and we have to find out whether this happened too early.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Diego is 30, in his prime, and eager to show that the UFC is worth the big bets on him. For a guy who was just outside the top 10, he's good, but he's not in Dana White's league, he hasn't gone 5 rounds yet, and hasn't done so in four years, and when he tried, he lost. But in his case, a stray punch early in the fight can eliminate the need to correct any shortcomings.

Comparative analysis

Alexander is much shorter in height, but in terms of arm span we are talking about only a couple of centimeters, which is not critical for him. The question of the ground game can be removed - Ortega and Makhachev's holds did not work on the ex-champion, and it is unlikely that Diego will be able to offer something more piquant. The exciting situation will unfold in the stand-up, and if Volkanovski again starts to press himself against the net, and not fight as usual, then it will be easier to catch him.

It was the lack of footwork that led him to a knockout from Topuria, so footwork, constant gaps after an attack and instant rapprochements will become a recipe for success. And if at the start Lopez can hook Alex with his hooks, then by the 3rd round, the Brazilian's enthusiasm will wane, and his opponent will only begin to gain momentum. Yes, the 4-5 segment has every chance of becoming Volkanovski's moment of glory.

But if he starts to back away and give space to the bloodthirsty Diego, he will definitely take advantage of this, start to press, throw a lot of punches and try to sting so as to shake Alexander, and then finish him off in any way possible. Depriving Lopez of the opportunity to work as the number one means depriving him of victory.

Aleksandr Volkanovski vs Diego Lopez Prediction

Actually, there is nothing to add here: everything falls on the shoulders of Alexander and his current mental state. If he was able to reboot, then it will be possible to outplay the straightforward Diego. Otherwise, we will see his final defeat.

However, there is every reason to believe that the fight will not end quickly, the Brazilian was messing around with Ige and Ortega for all 3 rounds. Therefore, a bet on the fight going into the 4th segment should be a safety bet, otherwise, Volkanovski has much more advantages, and let's hope that he will realize them. Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Total Over (3.5) after rounds/Victory Aleksandar Volkanovski