UFC Fight Night tips: Alexander Volkov could face trouble as Alexandr Romanov looks to impress
- Liam Hampton
- 11 March 2023
Stuttering performances against the divisions top talent has led to Alexander Volkov gaining a reputation as a gatekeeper - something he will be looking to change in his fight with Alexandr Romanov.
Volkov has been part of the heavyweight roster since 2016. During that time he has amassed victories over Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, primarily using is striking to keep his opponents off him and avoiding their takedowns.
When it works, this style looks excellent and Volkov has the look of a title contender about him.
However when it doesn't, he looks lost on the ground does not appear like a top 15 contender.
His opponent is Moldovan wrestler Alexandr Romanov. He lost his last fight to Marcin Tybura, but prior to that sported a perfect 16-0 record with wins coming over Juan Espino and Chase Sherman.
Romanov's wrestling is smothering and its his dominant top game that have led him to his victories, with four of his last five wins seeing a finish based on the work he did on the ground.
A matchup with Volkov sees a major step up in competition though as now he has entered the rankings, previous opponents such as Jared Vanderaa and Roque Martinez are not near the quality of the Russian, who will have an answer for the smothering top game of Romanov.
Having said that, its my belief that Romanov is currently the better fighter so I will predict Alexandr Romanov to use his wrestling to secure a submission victory.
Key Stat
Romanov's fights in the UFC follow the pattern of 2nd round win, 1st round win, judges scorecards, and his last fight went to the judges.
Suggested Bet
Romanov to win by submission.
