Henry Cejudo issues bold prediction for upcoming Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes fight at UFC 314
Henry Cejudo has offered his verdict on the upcoming UFC 314 main event clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. The top-ranked featherweight stars will square off on April. 12 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, to battle it out for the vacant featherweight throne.
Volkanovski has dropped two straight fights by knockouts against Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. Cejudo believes Volkanovski is no longer the same threat he once was at 145.
Meanwhile, ufc-314-outlines-goal-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Lopes has won five in a row and looked sharp in a dominant decision over Brian Ortega. Cejudo highlighted Lopes’ early pressure, ground game, and submission threats as keys to victory.
Previewing the fight in an interview with 'The Schmo', Cejudo said:
“I personally think Diego Lopes is going to beat him. I really do. But if Volkanovski does get it done, yeah he gets it done… It’s not Ilia Topuria that he’s going to beat... He has done some amazing things at 145 pounds, but he’s also gone through three losses. Two out of three were knockouts.”
He added:
“I think his pressure, I think he brings it early. Volkanovski will eventually give you distance. You can only run for so long. Where Diego Lopes is dangerous is in the first round, and also he’s really good on bottom. If Volkanovski does take him to the ground, this dude’s submission game is underrated, bro.”
Check out Henry Cejudo's comments below (4:30):
Dan Hooker believes quick turnaround after Islam Makhachev setback played a bigger role in Alexander Volkanovski's loss against Ilia Topuria
Dan Hooker believes Alexander Volkanovski’s quick return after a knockout loss played a major factor in his defeat than against Ilia Topuria. Volkanovski lost his featherweight title to Topuria at UFC 298, just four months after being stopped by Islam Makhachev.
Hooker, who’s experienced the effects of rushed turnarounds himself, feels the timing worked against Volkanovski. Sharing his thoughts in an interview with Sky Sports New Zealand, Hooker said:
“I don’t think Ilia Topuria did anything that incredible. I feel like he just fought [too soon], and I’ve been there. When I fought Paul Felder and then I fought Dustin Poirier kind of back-to-back and then rushed into the Michael Chandler fight. It’s not like Michael Chandler did anything that was lightening incredible. You need to learn that as a veteran fighter, and there’s only one way to learn it, and that’s the hard way."
Check out Dan Hooker's comments below (15:00):