A huge event awaits MMA fans this coming weekend as no. 8 heavyweight Alexander Volkov takes on no. 13 contender Alexandr Romanov at UFC Las Vegas. The co-main event will take place at The Theatre, Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas on March 11. The headliner will be a much-anticipated matchup between top bantamweights Petr ‘No Mercy’ Yan and Merab ‘The Machine’ Dvalishvili.
This matchup is really intriguing, considering the recent shake-up in the heavyweight division as the former LHW king Jon Jones attained heavyweight gold at UFC 285 against the Frenchman Ciryl Gane. Volkov, who also goes by the name ‘Drago’, is a former Bellator and M-1 heavyweight champion. His upcoming opponent, Romanov, is a Moldovan fighter who has been with the promotion since 2020.
Alexander Volkov meets Alexandr Romanov in heavyweight clash at UFC Vegas 71
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Volkov has been on the UFC roster since 2016 and his MMA record is an attestation to his career longevity. Romanov, on the other hand, joined the company not too long ago and has been on a tear up until recently. The Moldovan’s record proves he deserves a ranked fight, as his only loss came off to Marcin Tybura in his last fight at UFC 278.
UFC Las Vegas: Alexander Volkov vs Alexandr Romanov
| Stats | Alexander Volkov | Alexdanr Romanov |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 35 | 16 |
| Losses | 10 | 1 |
| Height | 2.00 m | 1.87 m |
| Division | Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 203.2 cm | 190.5 cm |
| Age | 34 | 32 |
Volkov vs Romanov: Fight Breakdown
With a stature and striking prowess like Volkov’s, it’s hard to bet against him for a KO/TKO victory over Romanov. Despite being way ahead of him in the official rankings, ‘Drago’ is coming into this fight as a underdog. He graced the Octagon back in the June of 2022 when he earned a TKO victory over Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the first round. It marked Volkov’s quickest finish in the promotion.
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Standing 2.00 m tall, Volkov’s height and reach are two of his biggest advantages against almost all of his opponents, and this won’t change against Romanov come Saturday. With a finishing rate of 75%, Volkov has knocked out 23 of his 35 opponents. Safe to say that Volkov has more than just a puncher’s chance to finish Romanov if he so chooses to.
With a really impressive background in wrestling, Romanov has secured a total of 9 submissions in his career so far. But, this shouldn’t let the fans overlook his striking abilities. While the 32-year-old has seemed to land 3.78 strikes per minute, he has only absorbed 1.86 strikes in return. A purple belt in Jiu-Jitsu, the Moldovan has also won several medals in Wrestling championships across Europe.
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— king_kong_romanov (@KongRomanov) August 18, 2022
Volkov, per UFC stats, has a takedown defense of 71%. So if he is able to stuff most of Romanov’s takedowns, he can strike his way to a decision or a KO/TKO victory. But if his opponent finds his way into an opening, fans could see Volkov struggling off his back, as we saw it happening against Tom Aspinall who submitted the Russian via straight armlock in just under one round.
While this fight doesn’t put the winner directly into title contention, it will definitely mix things up, moving the winner a tad bit closer to the heavyweight strap than before.
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