Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski Prediction: Expect an even more intriguing confrontation

Ten days before UFC 294, Charles Oliveira was injured and dropped out of the fight. Alex Volkanovski replaced him, and we got an even more intriguing confrontation.

Islam Makhachev is following in Khabib's footsteps but is aiming for more - he has two division titles in mind. But now he will have to fight again with little Volkanovski, who also comes on as a substitute. And nothing seems to predict Makhachev's defeat (except, for example, that he was preparing for Oliveira; stylistically, Volkanovski is a completely different fighter, more uncomfortable).

But still, Islam had a full camp, there was no troubling news from there, and it shouldn't be too difficult to adjust to The Wolf - after all, he knows what to expect from him, and he took their previous confrontation down to the smallest episode.

The champion comes out on short notice, and that's a big risk. He kept a rematch in his mind; he was preparing for it, but he didn't know until the very last moment that the second fight with Makhachev would occur so soon. Once again, he will lose heavily in size, and his game plan is unlikely to be different. In addition, this will be his third fight in a year, which is a lot, especially for championship fights.

After his fight with Makhachev, Alex fought Yair Rodriguez, knocked him out in the third round, and defended his belt again.

We believe the fight will follow the same scenario as the first one, but Volkanovski will not have the same advantage in physique and stamina. After all, Islam has been preparing, and Alex must take out on emotions.

It is unlikely, of course, that the fight will end quickly, but Makhachev's advantage will be more noticeable than in their first confrontation.

Nothing will change - after each round, Islam will move his opponent, taking a position on top or behind his back, but this time, he will try to avoid strikes from the bottom. We are absolutely sure that after the first fight he has seriously worked on this aspect.