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Fabricio Werdum and Alexander Volkov square off in a battle of former champions from rival promotions.
Former Champions
The former UFC Heavyweight champion Werdum and the former Bellator Heavyweight champion Volkov will headline UFC Fight Night 127 (also known as UFC London) on March 17th, 2018 at the O2 Arena in London, England.
Currently ranked #3 in the UFC’s heavyweight division, Werdum will be looking for his third straight win. He is 3-1 since losing the UFC heavyweight title to Stipe Miocic in 2016, with his unanimous decision loss to Alistair Overeem in July 2017 the only blot in his resume in his last four bouts. Werdum has a professional MMA record of 23-7-1.
Tough To Pick
Volkov, meanwhile, is looking to stay unbeaten since moving over to the UFC in 2016. The 29-year old has beaten Timothy Johnson, Roy Nelson and Stefan Struve in his first three bouts with the UFC. Volkov is currently ranked #7 in the standings and is 29-6 in his MMA career. A victory over Werdum should put Volkov in the Top 5 and include him in title conversations.
This one’s going to be tough to pick. Werdum is the favorite here at -205 at Bovada, while Volkov is the underdog at +165.
Despite being almost 41-years old, Werdum remains one of the best in the business. As he’s gotten older, Werdum’s striking has improved and he’s shown the ability to finish fights on his feet. However, it’s his grappling and ground game that make him unique in his weight class.
Best Submission Artist
Werdum is a top tier Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert. He’s won wrestling medals, BJJ championships and has 11 MMA wins by submission. Werdum is considered as the best submission artist in the history of the heavyweight division and will have a huge advantage if this fight goes down to the canvass.
Volkov is comfortable on the ground but he is a striker at heart. 19 of his victories have been by knockout and he has been accurate with his strikes in his first three UFC bouts. He’s a very active fighter who has a top notch ground and pound game if he gets to top position the mat.
Not An Easy Fight
It’s not going to be an easy fight for Werdum. Volkov has the advantage in striking and given his edge in reach and size, he has the ability to strike from the outside and avoid getting taken down by Werdum. If Werdum can’t take him down, Volkov would be content with fighting him at a distance and walking away with a decision.
But if Werdum gets him to the ground, it’s going to be another story. The Brazilian is going to wear down Volkov and take him to deep waters. Volkov has gotten the better of strikers in his young UFC career. But we’re not sure whether he has what it takes to prevent the best submission artist in the weight class from taking him down.
We’re picking Fabricio Werdum to pick up the victory here.
