This is one of the fights in UFC Fight Night 110 Auckland on June 10th where neither of the fighters are in front of home support. Alexander Volkanovski debuted in the UFC in November of 2016 and it was a debut to remember. He faced Yusuke Kasuya and was able to clinch the victory pretty early into the fight, he won by technical knock – out right in the second round itself. However, it has been a while since the debut and his opponent during Fight Night Auckland is certainly going to be a lore more challenging that Yusuke Kasuva.
Mizuto Hirota is a highly experienced fighter that has taken on some of the most illustrious names in the sport. Granted his record is littered with both wins and losses, it still shows that he has collected a lot of experience under his belt. While this fight is mostly evenly matched, the experience might really be the factor which makes the difference. Volkanovski is a pretty powerful hitter, but Hirota is no less and can also pack a punch himself. Hirota so far has landed takedowns with an accuracy of 68 per cent and you can rest assured that he will force Volkanovski to the mat once or twice.
Apart from the vast experience, another added advantage that Hirota can exploit is the fact that he has a significantly better reach which is 2 inches more that what Volkanovski has got. This can be used to deliver straight punches and setup takedowns while ensuring that Volkanovski is always on his back foot. If Volkanovski is going to win this one, he will have to stay real focused and pounce with a strong counter at the perfect moment.
Prediction – Hirota to win by unanimous decision