Shlemenko believed that the fight between Makhachev and Volkanovski would last all five rounds
Russian mixed-style fighter, ex-Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko expressed confidence that Australian Alexander Volkanovski can only count on luck in a fight against Russian Islam Makhachev. The athlete spoke out in an interview with Lenta.ru.
“It seems to me that Volkanovski will last until the end. But Islam will win in five rounds by decision. Alex is a fairly strong fighter and defends himself well from wrestling. Even in his current form, Volkanovski should have enough skill to keep himself from finishing.
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It is unlikely that he will be more dangerous for Islam than [Чарльз] Oliveira. He will have to rely only on luck, on that notorious lucky punch. At the same time, Volkanovski does not lose anything at all by agreeing to enter the Octagon. The result does not put pressure on him, he is not defending the champion belt. He’ll just earn good money,” Shlemenko thought.
The fight between Makhachev and Volkanovski at UFC 294 will take place on October 21 in Abu Dhabi. The main card starts at 21:00 Moscow time. It will include five fights, Makhachev and Volkanovski will be the last to enter the octagon. In this fight, the Russian will defend the UFC lightweight champion title.
In total, the 31-year-old Russian had 25 fights in his career, in which he won 24 victories and was defeated only once. The 35-year-old Volkanovski has 26 wins and two losses.
Source: Lenta
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