Alexander Volkanovski made weight for his forthcoming lightweight title match against champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 on October 21 with a little approximately ten days’ notice. ESPN+ PPV will broadcast UFC 294 from Abu Dhabi.
The current UFC featherweight champion, Volkanovski, was about 180 pounds when he accepted the request to take Charles Oliveira’s place when the latter hurt himself while practising. When the Australians and Russians faced off in February, the Australians fell short of the Russians. Volkanovski battled Makhachev’s ground and pound for five rounds without being taken down. “The Great” wants to end the battle swiftly this time at 155.
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Makhachev vs Volkanovski Possibility Of Winning UFC 294
In the main event of UFC 294 versus the Australian Alexander Volkanovski, the Russian Islam Makhachev is the clear favourite among bookies. Makhachev is the underdog at +270 in the UFC’s odds, while Volkanovksi is the favourite at -340.
The biggest bookmakers follow a similar pattern, with Russian odds ranging from -250 to -263. With money lines between +200 and +210, the Australian is still behind average in the preferences, albeit by a much smaller margin.
In their first encounter, which took place in February 2023, Makhachev was given a -340 advantage. Volkanovski was listed as the underdog at +245 by the betting companies.
The Russian ultimately prevailed by unanimous vote and hasn’t entered the octagon since. For the UFC featherweight championship in July, the Australian defeated Mexican Yair Rodriguez via technical knockout. He had to get surgery on his arm soon after that.
The odds for this confrontation, according to analysts, are not totally justified. Some people even believe that the Australian has a good chance of winning.
Makhachev controlled the opening minutes of Volk’s first bout, but Volk weathered the blow-for-blow exchanges, stayed on the mat, and gradually changed the course of events. Some people believe he was the clear winner of the most recent contest.
Because the Australian had only 11 days to prepare for the bout, bookies believed that he would be at a disadvantage. Charles de Oliveira, who had to decline due to injury, was replaced by Volkanovski.
Despite this, Volkanovski underwent surgery without any significant issues and has been watching for a chance to exact revenge on Makhachev. As a result, he might show up in the best shape for the battle at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
