"In terms of tightness on the feet, Yair is the better striker" - Josh Thomson feels Yair Rodriguez has the edge over Alexander Volkanovski in the stand-up
Alexander Volkanovski may encounter some trouble on the feet against Yair Rodriguez, if Josh Thomson's analysis is anything to go by. The unfortunate result of the Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez fight this past weekend didn't deter Josh Thomson when making his case for Rodriguez to fight for the title next.
In the most recent episode of Weighing In, Thomson said that he feels that Rodriguez presents a real danger to Volkanovski on the feet. Compared to the more orthodox boxing styles of Ortega and Max Holloway, Rodriguez will constantly be providing different looks, according to Thomson.
"Now Yair, to m,e poses a big threat. Just stylistically, Volkanovski being shorter, the push kicks up the middle to the face, the flying knees, spinning kicks, up elbows. They all play favor to Yair."
"Now Volkanovski and him might be a similar speed, but in terms of tightness on the feet, Yair is the better striker. And he is going to mix it up a lot more, he's going to keep Volkanovski guessing."
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Something that does work in Rodriguez's favor is the the fact that he has not fought Alexander Volkanovski yet. The uncharted waters that Rodriguez represents will wet Volkanovski's appetite, as well as MMA fans'.
It sure makes for a compelling matchup.
Should Alexander Volkanovski be the new pound-for-pound king?
With a slew of UFC champions recently putting on one dominant performance after another, it is difficult to define the true pound-for-pound number one. Charles Oliveira has convincingly finished his last three opponents, Kamaru Usman has been on a tear for years, and after UFC 276, Alexander Volkanovski has joined the party too.
With his latest great performance, many have called for the P4P rankings to be updated with Volkanovski replacing Usman at the top of the list.
In a passionate monolog, Michael Bisping made his case for Volkanovski to lay claim to the UFC P4P No.1 spot.
"Kamaru Usman, on the UFC rankings, is pound-for-pound number one. I think Volkanovski potentially pips him to the post."
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As Bisping mentions, this is all a matter of opinion. However, given the caliber of Volkanovski's opponents and the manner in which he has defeated them, it is difficult to look past him for P4P supremacy.
Considering the adversity he faced in the Ortega fight, the level of skill he displayed against Holloway, and his killer instinct against The Korean Zombie, Alexander Volkanovski really could be the best in the world right now.