Alexander Volkanovski is making his grand return to the octagon at UFC 290, which is set to take place next Saturday night in the glamorous city of Las Vegas. It’s been a while since we last saw Volkanovski in action, with his last fight being a home game in Perth, Australia this past February. The featherweight champion was looking to achieve MMA immortality by becoming a dual-division titlist against lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev. Boy, did he have big dreams!
But alas, it seems that fate had other plans for our hero. Despite putting up quite the fight and giving Makhachev the toughest challenge of his career with an impressive 25-fight record, Volkanovski fell short and lost via unanimous decision. Ouch! Talk about a letdown.
On that same fateful night, Yair Rodriguez claimed the interim featherweight championship by submitting Josh Emmett with a second-round triangle choke. Now it’s Rodriguez’s time to shine as he gets the opportunity to unify 145-pound gold on International Fight Week. Viva Mexico!
Meanwhile, former flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo made his comeback but sadly faced defeat in a split decision against current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. This unfortunate turn of events disrupted Cejudo’s master plan of eventually pursuing the featherweight title; guess life just loves throwing curveballs at us.
Cejudo has been rather vocal about wanting to take down Volkanovski but now believes that “El Pantera,” aka Yair Rodriguez will beat him to it (pun intended). According to Cejudo, Rodriguez presents a much tougher challenge than Makhachev due to his athletic prowess and unique fighting style – lots of kicks and viciousness if taken down.
The contrasting styles between Makhachev and Rodriguez are like night and day according to Volkanovski, who has already acknowledged the offensive versatility that Rodriguez brings to the table. While Makhachev is known for his takedown-and-smash approach, Rodriguez brings an element of unpredictability that keeps opponents on their toes.
Mexico seems to be having quite a year in the UFC with three titles currently held by Mexican fighters. The only setback came when Irene Aldana lost against Amanda Nunes at UFC 289 earlier this month. But fear not, as Cejudo believes Rodriguez will set things straight and become the new king of the featherweight division. Talk about a bold prediction!
In other news, Grant Dawson shares his thoughts on “a boycott PFL situation” after seeing Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio receive suspensions; Kevin Lee expresses excitement for his return but criticizes its location at the UFC APEX; Cristopher Lencioni’s wife asks for public help after her husband’s brain injury suffered during a Bellator fight – it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, right?
And let’s not forget about Corey Anderson laughing off war of words with Jamahal Hill because come on now, who has Hill really beaten? Oh wait…he’s actually the champ? Oops! My bad! Sorry Mr. Anderson for my lack of research skills.
But hey, while we’re here discussing MMA fights and predictions, how about we take a look back at some epic fights from years past? Check out these free fights featuring some badass fighters doing what they do best: kicking ass inside that octagon!
Anyway, back to our main discussion point – Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez – I personally think there’s more to worry about with Rodriguez overall than Makhachev. I mean seriously, have you seen this guy fight? It’s like he was born in mid-air doing acrobatic kicks and crazy moves while maintaining perfect balance.
It may sound ridiculous to compare him with Makhachev considering their completely different fighting styles, but hey, that’s just how we roll in the MMA world. We love our crazy matchups and unexpected outcomes.
So there you have it folks! A witty and sarcastically humorous take on the upcoming UFC title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez. Who will come out on top? Only time will tell. Until then, let’s sit back, relax, and enjoy the chaos that is MMA! Cheers!
Source link
Morning Report: Henry Cejudo believes Yair Rodriguez can be ‘a lot tougher’ for Alexander Volkanovski than Islam Makhachev
