After a rare weekend featuring no UFC action, the Octagon will return this Saturday night (March 17, 2018) with UFC Fight Night 127 live on UFC Fight Pass from the O2 Arena in London, England.
The main event will play host to a heavyweight bout between former UFC champion Fabricio Werdum and former Bellator titleholder Alexander Volkov. Meanwhile, the co-main event features a rematch between light heavyweight contenders with Jimi Manuwa facing Jan Blachowicz. Also on the main card, Tom Duquesnoy will square off with Terrion Ware in a potentially explosive bantamweight tilt.
Without further ado, let’s take a deeper look into UFC Fight Night 127’s marquee fights in our preview, breakdown, and analysis below.
Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexander Volkov
UFC Fight Night 127’s main event will feature a battle between two surging heavyweights.
Werdum, the former UFC champion, is coming off back-to-back victories over Marcin Tybura and Walt Harris, and will once again be tasked with taking on one of the division’s younger contenders.
Without question one of the very best submission artists to have ever graced the Octagon, Werdum, a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has continued to round out his game in recent years under the tutelage of Rafael Cordeiro.
Showing the most improvement in the striking department, Werdum has transformed himself into a pressure fighter with a diverse Muay Thai background. He flows through combinations well and has incorporated the use of kicks and knees into his arsenal.
He has, at times, proven to be hittable, however.
In terms of grappling, Werdum undoubtedly has the advantage in the submission department. He also has solid wrestling and terrific scrambling abilities, which lead me to believe that this is his best path to victory.
Volkov, meanwhile, is currently riding a five-fight winning streak that includes three-straight victories since entering the UFC in 2016.
On the feet, Volkov is extremely lengthy, has a great sense of range and uses more of a kickboxing approach, while also incorporating techniques from his background in traditional martial arts. He moves well, uses a wide variety of strikes and has the ability to fight out of both stances. He also has shown success fighting both going forward and moving backward.
In terms of grappling, Volkov’s wrestling, at times, has been his weakness, but in recent years, he’s improved his takedown defense a bit. However, I simply don’t feel as if he matches up well against Werdum in the clinch or on the ground.
Volkov has looked good recently, but when it comes down to it, he’s never faced a fighter quite like Werdum. If he can keep the fight standing and work his game plan, he could see success, but I expect Werdum to put the pressure on and eventually drag the fight to the canvas where he’ll be able to outclass his Russian opponent.
Prediction: Fabricio Werdum def. Alexander Volkov via third-round submission
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