Point of interest: Close quarters combat
Given the propensity Volkanovski has for finding his way into some sort of clinch warfare, I will be curious to see how successful the Australian-born Macedonian is when it comes to taking this fight into close quarters.
When not sprinkling in the occasional spinning elbow to his dirty boxing repertoire, Volkanovski is an aggressive takedown hunter who will relentlessly chain from single to double-legs in close, looking to suck his opposition’s hips from the fence.
However, if Volkanovski intends on taking things to the mat, he will not only have to consistently corral his man to the fence (which seems to be one of his footwork strengths, for what that’s worth), but he’ll also have to show the ability to take and hold Holloway down.
The Hawaiian champion’s superb striking may hallmark a large part of his brand, but Holloway has quietly made consistent improvements to his counter-grappling (only being taken down five times in the past five years). Even when having his takedown defense tested by an NCAA All-American wrestler in Lamas, Holloway successfully thwarted his offensive shots, smoothly re-wrestling his way to ride positions of his own.
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Not only does Holloway display the balance and defense to stuff takedowns, but he also shows excellent awareness of how to conduct his hips and grips in close. Deceptively hand-fighting to counter clinches and grappling efforts, Holloway demonstrates a knack for striking off the breaks, something that could be worth watching in this fight.
More importantly, whether Holloway is conducting himself from the clinch or inside the chaos of transition, he has always prioritized protecting his neck and head by either maintaining an upright posture in close or keeping his hands in the proper neighborhood to defend grasps. This note, in particular, is useful when considering his current counterpart’s acumen from the front headlock position.
Nevertheless, if Volkanovski is able to meaningfully take Holloway down, then the champion will be forced to deal with the challenger’s honey badger-like behavior.
Staking his claim to positions like he is fighting for his last meal, Volkanovski will immediately break down any posts his opponent looks to use in a standing effort, unabashedly swarming them with strikes while floating from wrestling rides. Volkanovski, who holds a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, is also quietly competent in submissions and has no issue snatching up a limb should Holloway leave anything behind.
That said, if Volkanovski is able to get on top, I will be more curious to see if he can prioritize establishing and keeping position above all else.
Next point of interest: Odds, opinion and prediction