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UFC 290:
Alexander "Alex" Volkanovski vs. Yair Raziel Rodríguez Portillo
Odds:
https://fightodds.io/odds/4634/ufc-290-volkanovski-vs-rodriguez
https://www.bestfightodds.com/events/ufc-290-2834
https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/events/98868-ufc-290
https://www.tapology.com/forum/threads/72402
Saturday July 8, 2023 at 6:00 PM eastern
U.S. Broadcast: Pay Per View
Prelims: ESPN
Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship
Venue: T-Mobile Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
https://www.tapology.com/fightcente...reat-volkanovski-vs-yair-el-pantera-rodriguez
https://www.tapology.com/fightcente...-moreno-vs-alexandre-the-cannibal-pantoja-iii
Alexander Volkanovski (0.5 inch reach advantage) is one of the best strikers in the entire UFC with high-level offensive and defensive wrestling, cardio for days, and a will to win that seems unmatched. Recently, each of his skillsets seems to have improved. His hands are just a bit faster, his footwork just a bit more impactful, he is carrying more power, and his hunger has only grown. On the feet, Volk is a masterclass of MMA striking. He has a cracking leg kick, which he uses at range often considering he is typically the shorter fighter. He moves with precision and explosion, using footwork and timing as weapons rather than just aspects of his game. He rarely throws a single shot at a time, instead able to string together unique and effective combinations. And, when he lands, he lands with accuracy and power. The most impressive aspect of Volkanovski’s game, though, are his feints. Given that he is often the shorter fighter, Volk has developed a truly great way of entering striking range. He is able to feint so effectively that he draws out an ill-advised, ill-timed, or poorly thrown strike from his opponent. From here, rather than a simple counter, Volk slips his opponent’s strike, cuts an angle, gets to his preferred spot, and lands an open and impactful combination. Few others are so seamlessly and consistently able to combine feints with footwork, timing, head movement, and combination striking. He is just that good. In the grappling department, an area that presumably will be tested, Volkanovski is also highly skilled. He is a stout fighter who uses his low center of gravity to get lower than his opponents. Then, he can drive his hips effectively to reverse positions on the cage or push off when he’s wrapped up. In the times that he’s hit the mat, Volkanovski has proven an ability to remain calm, work patiently through a tough position, and get back up through fundamentals and strength.
Yair Rodriguez (5 inches taller, 4 years younger) is one of the most athletically gifted strikers in the UFC. His ability to attempt, and land, video game-caliber strikes in an octagon against top-tier opponents as unbelievable as it is entertaining. These strikes, which often include some spinning component, are dangerous but highly volatile and taxing. Early in his career, Rodriguez seemed to attempt these unique strikes with little regard for the setup or outcome. He would suddenly jump or spin without baiting his opponent. Because of his athleticism and speed, the lack of a setup was not much of an issue, he landed some highlight-reel knockouts. But, as he climbed the rankings and faced better competition, Rodriguez’s flashy attacks came back to haunt him. He found that without setting up his shots, higher end fighters could react and evade, sometimes even counter, Rodriguez’s strikes. Then, without the success of his approach, Rodriguez was dragged into deep waters and the high-energy attacks drained his gas tank. Recently, though, Rodriguez seems to have evolved to set up his excellent striking with footwork and traps. Moreover, because he uses more setups, Rodriguez is able to better manage his cardio and fight with volume and danger for 25 minutes. His striking, when he puts it all together, is truly impressive. In fact, against Holloway, widely regarded as one of the best strikers on the roster, Rodriguez was landing with such speed, precision, and impact that Holloway was forced to go to plan B and wrestle. Even though he lost that fight, Rodriguez showed just how high-level his striking can be, how his cardio can go 5 rounds, and how he can defensively grapple even while fatigued.
UFC 290
Alexander "Alex" Volkanovski vs. Yair Raziel Rodríguez Portillo
Odds:
https://fightodds.io/odds/4634/ufc-290-volkanovski-vs-rodriguez
https://www.bestfightodds.com/events/ufc-290-2834
https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/events/98868-ufc-290
https://www.tapology.com/forum/threads/72402
Saturday July 8, 2023 at 6:00 PM eastern
U.S. Broadcast: Pay Per View
Prelims: ESPN
Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship
Venue: T-Mobile Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
https://www.tapology.com/fightcente...reat-volkanovski-vs-yair-el-pantera-rodriguez
https://www.tapology.com/fightcente...-moreno-vs-alexandre-the-cannibal-pantoja-iii
Alexander Volkanovski (0.5 inch reach advantage) is one of the best strikers in the entire UFC with high-level offensive and defensive wrestling, cardio for days, and a will to win that seems unmatched. Recently, each of his skillsets seems to have improved. His hands are just a bit faster, his footwork just a bit more impactful, he is carrying more power, and his hunger has only grown. On the feet, Volk is a masterclass of MMA striking. He has a cracking leg kick, which he uses at range often considering he is typically the shorter fighter. He moves with precision and explosion, using footwork and timing as weapons rather than just aspects of his game. He rarely throws a single shot at a time, instead able to string together unique and effective combinations. And, when he lands, he lands with accuracy and power. The most impressive aspect of Volkanovski’s game, though, are his feints. Given that he is often the shorter fighter, Volk has developed a truly great way of entering striking range. He is able to feint so effectively that he draws out an ill-advised, ill-timed, or poorly thrown strike from his opponent. From here, rather than a simple counter, Volk slips his opponent’s strike, cuts an angle, gets to his preferred spot, and lands an open and impactful combination. Few others are so seamlessly and consistently able to combine feints with footwork, timing, head movement, and combination striking. He is just that good. In the grappling department, an area that presumably will be tested, Volkanovski is also highly skilled. He is a stout fighter who uses his low center of gravity to get lower than his opponents. Then, he can drive his hips effectively to reverse positions on the cage or push off when he’s wrapped up. In the times that he’s hit the mat, Volkanovski has proven an ability to remain calm, work patiently through a tough position, and get back up through fundamentals and strength.
Yair Rodriguez (5 inches taller, 4 years younger) is one of the most athletically gifted strikers in the UFC. His ability to attempt, and land, video game-caliber strikes in an octagon against top-tier opponents as unbelievable as it is entertaining. These strikes, which often include some spinning component, are dangerous but highly volatile and taxing. Early in his career, Rodriguez seemed to attempt these unique strikes with little regard for the setup or outcome. He would suddenly jump or spin without baiting his opponent. Because of his athleticism and speed, the lack of a setup was not much of an issue, he landed some highlight-reel knockouts. But, as he climbed the rankings and faced better competition, Rodriguez’s flashy attacks came back to haunt him. He found that without setting up his shots, higher end fighters could react and evade, sometimes even counter, Rodriguez’s strikes. Then, without the success of his approach, Rodriguez was dragged into deep waters and the high-energy attacks drained his gas tank. Recently, though, Rodriguez seems to have evolved to set up his excellent striking with footwork and traps. Moreover, because he uses more setups, Rodriguez is able to better manage his cardio and fight with volume and danger for 25 minutes. His striking, when he puts it all together, is truly impressive. In fact, against Holloway, widely regarded as one of the best strikers on the roster, Rodriguez was landing with such speed, precision, and impact that Holloway was forced to go to plan B and wrestle. Even though he lost that fight, Rodriguez showed just how high-level his striking can be, how his cardio can go 5 rounds, and how he can defensively grapple even while fatigued.
UFC 290
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