Alexander Volkanovski is backing Max Holloway to beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 326.
Oliveira has said he’ll throw down with Holloway whenever the BMF champion wants in their upcoming title fight in Las Vegas.
The aggressive style that has made ‘Do Bronx’ such a beloved fan favorite has also led to the likes of Robert Whittaker expressing some concerns about Oliveira in this fight.
It’s these same patterns in the challenger’s approach that Alexander Volkanovski believes will play into his former rival’s hands on March 7.
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Alexander Volkanovski says Max Holloway will be able to read Charles Oliveira because he always fights the same way
In a video on his YouTube channel, Alexander Volkanovski predicted that Max Holloway will finish Charles Oliveira in their UFC 326 rematch.
‘The Great’ highlighted several of his former rival’s strengths, with his ability to take advantage of people’s cardio being a key weapon.
Volkanovski also thinks that Oliveira’s tendency to approach all of his fights the same way will make it easier for ‘Blessed’ to take risks when setting him up for strikes he doesn’t see coming.
“He’ll do that straight away and he’ll execute it straight away,” he said. “I think he can do that with someone like Charles. Charles is going to pretty much do what he always does so Max Holloway will be able to, as he’s coming forward and getting angles, maybe jab him, pretend to move out, knowing that Charles is going to want to get right back in front of him again, make him pay.”
Volkanovski also said that this is one of the key differences between him and Holloway.
Where he is more focused on weighing up the risk versus the reward, the BMF champion’s unpredictability always gives his opponents something to worry about.
“Max Holloway is happy to try that s— out straight away and you’ve got to credit him for it because that’s why he’s a BMF,” he explained. “He will take risks, especially when he knows, ‘I’ve got this.’
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Who won the first fight between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira?
In his first main event, Max Holloway was declared the winner just 99 seconds into his 2015 clash with Charles Oliveira.
Oliveira’s coach said that the stoppage is still a mystery, with ‘Do Bronx’ suffering an injury that led to him telling the referee he couldn’t continue.
This was one of several fights that led to some questioning the heart and resilience of the Brazilian.
He was able to prove people wrong by putting together the lightweight win streak that saw him become champion in 2021.
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