Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight contenders Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes clash TONIGHT (Sat., June 20, 2020) at UFC on ESPN 11 from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Due to troubles actually making it to the Octagon in the last couple years, it’s become easy to forget just how successful Volkov’s current UFC run has been. Were it not for that last-second rally of legend from “The Black Beast,” the Russian striker would be 6-0 inside the Octagon. Even considering that defeat, Volkov remains highly ranked and in title contention.
This is his chance to remind fans.
Meanwhile, Blaydes has been consistently reminding fans of his talent. Undefeated against foes not named Francis Ngannou, the overpowering wrestler has simply dominated foe after foe, and he’s only getting better.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
Alexander Volkov
Record: 31-7
Key Wins: Fabricio Werdum (UFC 229), Stefan Struve (UFC Fight Night 115), Blagoy Ivanov (Bellator 120), Tim Johnson (UFC Fight Night 99)
Keys Losses: Derrick Lewis (UFC 229), Vitaly Minakov (Bellator 108), Cheick Kongo (Bellator 139)
Keys to Victory: Volkov is an extra rangy Heavyweight kickboxer with very snappy kicks. For some years, boxing and defensive wrestling proved his weaknesses, but the 31-year-old veteran has improved considerably in both areas.
Against a big wrestler in a small ring, Volkov must be more aggressive than usual. In truth, he cannot afford to take any steps backwards, as it will only take the slightest error in ringcraft to find Blaydes in on his hips along the cage.
That’s bad news.
Fortunately, the smaller Octagon does offer an advantage to Volkov as well. Blaydes likes to circle and hang back at range before closing distance with combinations. Therefore, it will only takes one backwards step for Blaydes to be backed into the fence too. Volkov should be stalking his foe, digging his beloved snap kick into the mid-section, and standing his ground or taking angles when Blaydes does advance.
Curtis Blaydes
Record: 13-2 (1)
Key Wins: Alistair Overeem (UFC 225), Junior dos Santos (UFC Fight Night 166), Mark Hunt (UFC 221), Alexey Oleinik (UFC 217), Shamil Abdurakhimov (UFC 242)
Key Losses: Francis Ngannou (UFC Fight Night 141, UFC Fight Night 86
Keys to Victory: Blaydes does not hide his game plan. Each fight, he intends to throw his opponent to the mat, take top position, and drop elbows like he’s trying to smash a watermelon. He’s remarkably successful at implementing that strategy, but Blaydes’ kickboxing is improving quickly as well.
Whereas Volkov must walk a tightrope of aggression without giving up position, Blaydes’ strategy can afford to be summed up much easier: take this guy down! Volkov’s wrestling has improved, but he’s still too damn tall to protect his hips. Blaydes is a much better wrestler than many of the men who have found success taking Volkov down, and unlike Fabricio Werdum, that effort of tossing Volkov repeatedly is unlikely to fatigue “Razor.”
If there was one real Volkov-specific adjustment I’d like to see from Blaydes, it would be to mix up his shots. Blaydes tends to prefer double leg/running clinch takedowns, and those are likely to work well. However, Volkov also really struggled with Werdum’s single leg dump, so transitioning to a shot outside of his usual comfort zone could benefit him if Volkov is proving difficult to drag down.
Bottom Line
The winner of this bout is third in line to fight for the strap.
Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier are scheduled to settle their trilogy in August, and Francis Ngannou has secured his shot at the victor. Whichever man is victorious in this main event slot can mark his name down behind Ngannou as the next most deserving contender. Victory may not lead to that title fight immediately, it could also lead to a definite title contender with someone like Derrick Lewis.
While no one wants to take a step backwards, this is the rare fight between top-tier combatants that are actually young! Blaydes and Volkov are 29- and 31-years-old respectively. By most Heavyweight standards, they are not yet in their primes! This is one of those fights where an eventual rematch seems rather possible, particularly if it’s a competitive bout.
Both men are likely to contend for some time to come.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC on ESPN 11 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” that are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET, then the main card portion that will also stream on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET.
For more news and notes on this weekend’s UFC on ESPN 11 event click here.
At UFC on ESPN 11, Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes will go to war in the main event. Which man will earn the victory?