Second Attempts to Fight Overim and Dos Santos
After a successful performance at the home tournament in Moscow, Alexander Volkov again joined the fight for the UFC heavyweight title. The Russian has risen one position in the ranking of the division and now shares the sixth line with Alistair Overeem. It is all the more remarkable that the athletes had to meet each other at a show in St. Petersburg, but Drago was forced to withdraw due to an injury.
However, one should not exclude the possibility that soon the UFC will again try to organize this fight. The meeting between Volkov and Overeem is important not only to attract the audience, but also in terms of prospects. In case of victory, Alexander is able to rise a few more positions in the ranking and get the right to fight for the status of the applicant.
Two factors can interfere with this battle. Firstly, recently the 39-year-old Overeem does not appear so often, and the intervals between his appearances in the cell range from five to eight months. In December, he was assigned a duel with the promising Jairzinho Rosenstriuk, in connection with which the age Dutchman may not have time to recover before the end of February.
Secondly, it should not be ruled out that a fighter from Suriname will extend the unbeaten run and deal with his vis-a-vis. So far, Rosenstrike has held three fights in the UFC, each of which has won ahead of schedule. So, Allen Crowder and Junior Albini have already fallen from his hands, as well as former promotion champion Andrei Orlovsky. In case of defeat, Overeem will automatically drop into the ranking cards, and a battle with him will not bring dividends to Volkov.
Then Alexander can return to the candidacy of dos Santos. The Brazilian continues to recover from the effects of the infection, but by the end of February it may well be ready. Thus, viewers will be able to see the confrontation between two top heavyweight fighters, and Volkov will ensure a smoother return to the elite.
Of course, do not underestimate the strength and experience of Junior. For Alexander, a duel with him certainly will not be a passing one. This can be judged if only because in March the Brazilian knocked out the offender of the Russian Derrick Lewis. Nevertheless, if Volkov intends to compete for the belt in the future, then the best option for him would be to first fight with dos Santos, and not immediately switch to more dangerous opponents at the moment.
Revenge with Lewis
Do not rule out the possibility that Volkov decides to take revenge from Lewis. In October 2018, he confidently fought and was leading on the referee cards, but at the right time he lost concentration. 17 seconds before the gong, he missed the most powerful right overhand of the American and was subsequently knocked out.
Offensive defeat is sufficient motivation for Volkov to once again pay attention to Lewis and ask the UFC leadership to organize a rematch. An additional factor may be their conflict before the start of the battle in person. So, during the weighing Derrick behaved arrogantly and knocked the hat off his head vis-a-vis. A fight broke out between the athletes, but they managed to separate them.
In the last three fights, Lewis lost to Dos Santos and Daniel Cormier, and shortly before that he defeated Nganna in one of the most boring confrontations in UFC history. Thus, in the near future matchmakers are unlikely to organize fights for him with one of the above-mentioned fighters, which opens up space for a rematch with Volkov.
The fighters ranked fifth and sixth in the ranking, respectively, therefore, full-time combat makes sense for both one and the second. In addition, the result of the first duel has a revenge, which should put all the dots on the “i” in this confrontation.
The last time Derrick entered the octagon on November 2 at the UFC 244 tournament in New York, as a result of which he is in the same conditions as Volkov. The only question is whether he wants to force recovery and training for the sake of a fight with a Russian or whether he would prefer to pause while waiting for more promoted opponents.
Duel with the top challenger
At the top of the heavyweight division is a trio of Cormier, Ngannu and Blades. Each of them can get an opportunity to argue for the title, but the ex-champion’s chances look higher. UFC President Dana White has already confirmed that he intends to organize a rematch between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic in the future. The only question is when the title holder will be able to re-enter the cell.
Thus, the duel between Ngannu and Blades seems quite logical, but there are nuances. Athletes have already fought each other twice. and both times Cameroonian gained the upper hand. And the last time this happened in November 2018. Then everything ended with a knockout at the 45th second of the first round. At the moment, the UFC is not interested in holding a rematch, as a result of which it may well bring one of the fighters to Volkov. In addition, Francis himself has twice challenged Alexander, which indicates his interest in this battle.
For Volkov, this battle can open a direct road to the belt. If successful, he automatically becomes the first applicant and goes to the winner of a possible duel between Miocic and Cormier. But it is necessary to be aware of the risks that these battles bear for him. Given the simple and not the most dominant performance against Hardy, as well as the power of rivals, he is guaranteed to be considered an underdog.
Ngannu is deservedly considered one of the worst scouts in UFC history. He won five of his last victories by knockout, and yielded solely to decision. Fighting with him can not be considered convenient for any of the athletes, because Francis can send the enemy to the floor at any moment.
In addition, in an attempt to solve the problem with endurance, the Cameroonian lost a lot of excess muscle mass and began to look noticeably less voluminous and drier. True, in the last three fights, it was not possible to check its functional readiness, because they totally lasted 142 seconds.
As for Blades, meeting him is a nightmare for Volkov in terms of style. The American is one of the best wrestlers in the category that Shamil Abdurakhimov, Alexey Oleinik and Alistair Overeem managed to feel. Alexander, however, was never famous for his skills on the ground, so he can become easy prey for a vis-a-vis.
Undoubtedly, Volkov has a chance to defeat both, but these fights will almost certainly become the hardest in his career. In the case of Ngannu, endurance and ability to work calmly at a distance can help him, and in a battle with Blades - a knockout blow. Alexander must do everything possible to avoid transfers to the stalls, otherwise the American may well get the better of the third representative of Russia in three years.