UFC is returning to Australia for the UFC 293 event that will take place on September 9, 2023, in Qudos Bank Arena, with a co-main event featuring Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov.
Moreover, the Middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya, will be squaring off against the number five-ranked Sean Strickland in a fight that happens to be easy work for the Last Stylebender.
Next up! We’re just ONE WEEK away from #UFC293! pic.twitter.com/tYhEy7oTn8
— UFC (@ufc) September 3, 2023
The number 10 ranked Tai Tuivasa stepped into the octagon to face Russian native Alexander Volkov. The Bam Bam is coming off two consecutive losses in his last fights to the likes of top heavyweight title contenders Ciryl Gane and Sergie Pavlovich.
Meanwhile, the Drago has been on a 2-fight win streak, aiming to maintain his winning track. The Australian native is sure excited to return to the winning ways of fighting on his home soil.
Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov stats
| Stats | Tai Tuivasa | Alexander Volkov |
| Wins | 15 | 36 |
| Losses | 5 | 10 |
| Height | 6’1″ | 6’5″ |
| Division | Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 75″ | 79″ |
| Age | 30 | 34 |
UFC 293: Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov fight breakdown and prediction
The Bam Bam has been in the fighting game for over a decade, having a professional MMA record (15 wins, 5 losses) consisting of an impressive 14 wins by knockout.
His last win came against Derrick Lewis, where he landed a massive right hand followed by a clean elbow. However, his five-fight winning streak came to a halt when he faced off against Ciryl Gane at UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa event in Paris.
On the other hand, Volkov holds an impressive pro-MMA record of a staggering 36 wins and 10 losses, with 24 wins by knockout. The “Drago” last suffered a loss at the hands of Tom Aspinall at UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall in London.
Currently, Tai ranks higher than Volkov in the ranking. Showcasing his speed and power, Tai has displayed in his fights that he goes in for the kill in earlier rounds, trying to clinch the victory. At 34 years old, “Drago” is much taller than “Bam Bam” and is more of a technical fighter than Tai. With his height and reach advantage, Volkov has finished two promising heavyweight contenders, Alex Romanov and Rozenstruik, from the very first round.
The Russian fighter has shown great cardio, enough to go five rounds in his fights against Ciryl Gane and Curtis Blaydes, although he suffered a loss. Given their track record of knockout victories, it’s possible that bout won’t go the distance, providing fans with a banger of a fight for the UFC 293 co-main event.
According to UFC stats, Tuivasa lands significant strikes of 4.10 per minute while absorbing almost 4.46 strikes per minute. On the contrary, Volkov has an average of 4.89 significant strikes per minute, more than that of Tuivasa. Also, he absorbs fewer significant strikes, averaging 3 strikes per minute.
In the case of wrestling, Tuivasa doesn’t rely on wrestling prowess, as he averages 0 takedowns or submission attempts. Meanwhile, Volkov has a 0.51 takedown average per 15 minutes, with 73 percent takedown defense.
Given the technical aspects of the fight game, strategy, and cardio, it will be a highly competitive match. Hence, Alexander Volkov will win against Tai Tuivasa via unanimous decision. What are your thoughts on the outcome? Share your thoughts.
