🥊 The UFC Info and Prediction Thread

[TopTort777]

185 for McGregor, that looks strange. With more weight, he looses speed. With his lifestyle, will he be ready for 3 rounds? Also rather strange to see that Chandler accepted fighting in this weight. He was a welterweight in the start of his career, 12 years ago. His body is adopted to lightweight and cutting weight. And now, due to Conor being on steroids (to cure injury) and his lifestyle (drinking and party), he needs to gain, because Conor cant or dont want to cut. Is it fair?

Both will lose at least some of the speed, but McGregor had much more time to get used to being big. Chandler will only have 6 months to gain more muscles and get comfortable with it. Of course, Chandler could take the risk and decide to show up significantly below the weight limit, he could then be much more faster than Conor, but could get overpowered.
Is it fair to Michael? Nope. But apparently that's his dream fight and he'll agree to whatever terms to get it. I'd wait for the official confirmation from the UFC, as there's a big chance McGregor was joking about the weight class.

The first odds (DraftKings) are slightly favouring McGregor to win, but I disagree, I think Chandler will win it easily.
https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/event/conor-mcgregor-vs-michael-chandler/29906392

Agree on odds. Chandler got more experience of fighting during same period compared to Conor (how ever he has been on pause for a year). Imho Conor is...Rusty. He needs less elite opponent to get back into fighting. Impossible to jump back into elite level of competition after 3 years of inactivity. While both havent found for a while, Chandler seems to be having more training, more sparring, more practice.

Lets wait for official announcement.

[tokeweed]

185 for McGregor, that looks strange. With more weight, he looses speed. With his lifestyle, will he be ready for 3 rounds? Also rather strange to see that Chandler accepted fighting in this weight. He was a welterweight in the start of his career, 12 years ago. His body is adopted to lightweight and cutting weight. And now, due to Conor being on steroids (to cure injury) and his lifestyle (drinking and party), he needs to gain, because Conor cant or dont want to cut. Is it fair?

Mmm..  It's not rather strange that Chandler accepted the match up as it's prolly going to be his biggest pay day.  :/   And he def knows that he could win vs McGregor at any weight class.  He has the wrestling advantage, his striking isn't too bad and as we've seen vs Gaethje, the guy has heart.  So unless McGregor knocks Chandler out early, I really don't know how he'll win if the match goes into deep waters.

And for all we know, Chandler could have the advantage at 185 due to his wrestling.

[pawel7777]

He needs less elite opponent to get back into fighting. Impossible to jump back into elite level of competition after 3 years of inactivity. While both havent found for a while, Chandler seems to be having more training, more sparring, more practice.

There's no way he would be getting an official fight with some unranked no-name. And, as he is rusty, there would be a big risk he could get beaten by any active fighter. So it's actually better to set him up with someone from the top. If he loses, he still generates massive revenue and he could use rustiness as an excuse (or come up with some fake injury etc) and still maintain some of the hype.
Losing, or even winning in unconvinced fashion, could kill the hype (this is somewhat what happened to Paddy after his win against Gordon).
On the opposite - look at Chandler, he lost 3 out of his 5 fights in the UFC, winning only with Hooker and Ferguson, but he showed a lot of heart and put on a great show, and his "stock" went up.

So unless McGregor knocks Chandler out early, I really don't know how he'll win if the match goes into deep waters.

Knocking Chandler out within 2 rounds is probably the plan. Some fighting analytics said that Chandler represents style that suits McGregor the most (or at least the old McGregor), and the same goes for making it a 185 fight. They're making everything they can to improve Conor's chances. I wouldn't be surprised if Chandler got some secret bonus for losing 

[Hanadawa]

Mmm..  It's not rather strange that Chandler accepted the match up as it's prolly going to be his biggest pay day.  :/   And he def knows that he could win vs McGregor at any weight class.  He has the wrestling advantage, his striking isn't too bad and as we've seen vs Gaethje, the guy has heart.  So unless McGregor knocks Chandler out early, I really don't know how he'll win if the match goes into deep waters.

A match against McGregor is always every fighter's dream. Fighting McGregor is like hitting the jackpot. Many of McGregor's matches have fantastic PPV selling points. I don't know how McGregor is now but Chandler knows that this is a great opportunity for Chandler to get a big payday and an easy fight. We all know that McGregor has trashtalk but we also know that Chandler has a really great heart and mentality. I think Chandler will win and the McGregor era will be over. But we don't know what the UFC really wants. If you know what I mean. 

[YuginKadoya]

Agree on odds. Chandler got more experience of fighting during same period compared to Conor (how ever he has been on pause for a year). Imho Conor is...Rusty. He needs less elite opponent to get back into fighting. Impossible to jump back into elite level of competition after 3 years of inactivity. While both havent found for a while, Chandler seems to be having more training, more sparring, more practice.

Lets wait for official announcement.

I haven't seen the odds yet but for sure Michael Chandler will be the favorite to win, and yes I think that Chandler is not stopping training while Conor McGregor in my opinion is just wasting time sparring with smaller opponents It looks like it was all for show, but for sure Conor McGregor really wants to return to the UFC and for sure it is all about the money,

Mmm..  It's not rather strange that Chandler accepted the match up as it's prolly going to be his biggest pay day.  :/   And he def knows that he could win vs McGregor at any weight class.  He has the wrestling advantage, his striking isn't too bad and as we've seen vs Gaethje, the guy has heart.  So unless McGregor knocks Chandler out early, I really don't know how he'll win if the match goes into deep waters.

And for all we know, Chandler could have the advantage at 185 due to his wrestling.

For sure Michael Chandler knows that he will win this that is why he accepted the fight but looking at the current situation Conor McGregor looks really bulkier, than Michael Chandler, but for me, Michael Chandler still has it in him and I think that June is a pretty much long period for preparation for both fighters and you could clearly see that Michael Chandler is pretty much ready for the fight, however even though McGregor looks bulkier he even looks slower than Chandler so for sure Michael Chandler can get a much output with his strikes, and let's not forget the grappling

A match against McGregor is always every fighter's dream. Fighting McGregor is like hitting the jackpot. Many of McGregor's matches have fantastic PPV selling points. I don't know how McGregor is now but Chandler knows that this is a great opportunity for Chandler to get a big payday and an easy fight. We all know that McGregor has trashtalk but we also know that Chandler has a really great heart and mentality. I think Chandler will win and the McGregor era will be over. But we don't know what the UFC really wants. If you know what I mean. 

Well, McGregor is walking money just like Floyd Mayweather in boxing, once you hit a fight against this kind of fighter for sure you it is a great profit to behold in getting a fight against Conor McGregor, but for sure if Conor McGregor would lose in this fight his credibility will surely crumble in this fight,

[tokeweed]

So unless McGregor knocks Chandler out early, I really don't know how he'll win if the match goes into deep waters.

Knocking Chandler out within 2 rounds is probably the plan. Some fighting analytics said that Chandler represents style that suits McGregor the most (or at least the old McGregor), and the same goes for making it a 185 fight. They're making everything they can to improve Conor's chances. I wouldn't be surprised if Chandler got some secret bonus for losing 

Well after going toe to toe with Gaethje and taking all those strikes, you gotta realize that there's more than a coin flip's chance Chandler takes it to deep waters where McGregor starts getting into some cardio problems.  And with 30 more pounds in the cage I wouldn't be surprised that he'll be huffing and puffing around the final couple minutes for R2.

And if anything I think the heavier weight and the inactivity is going to work against McGregor that it would work against Chandler.

[TopTort777]

I suggest we wait for official announcement, otherwise this really might be a bad joke from Conor

In the meanwhile, 10 days till first event in the year 2024. There is good amount of big names in the card. Also, lets us all wish tokeweed not to be so lazy this year and update second post of this topic more regularly As the last event was in October according to it.

UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2



Date: January 13, 2024
Main Card: Sun, Jan 14 / 2:00 AM GMT+2
Prelims: Sun, Jan 13 / 11:00 PM GMT+3

Venue: UFC Apex

Main card (ESPN+)
Light Heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker            
Flyweight: Matheus Nicolau vs. Manel Kape            
Lightweight: Jim Miller vs. Gabriel Benítez            
Bantamweight: Ricky Simón vs. Mario Bautista            
Middleweight: Phil Hawes vs. Brunno Ferreira            
Heavyweight: Andrei Arlovski vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta   

Preliminary card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Welterweight: Matthew Semelsberger vs. Preston Parsons            
Bantamweight: Marcus McGhee vs. Gaston Bolanos            
Bantamweight: Farid Basharat vs. Taylor Lapilus            
Featherweight: Westin Wilson vs. Jean Silva            
Lightweight: Tom Nolan vs. Nikolas Motta            
Flyweight: Joshua Van vs. Felipe Bunes   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_Fight_Night:_Ankalaev_vs._Walker_2

[Inwestour]

Both will lose at least some of the speed, but McGregor had much more time to get used to being big. Chandler will only have 6 months to gain more muscles and get comfortable with it. Of course, Chandler could take the risk and decide to show up significantly below the weight limit, he could then be much more faster than Conor, but could get overpowered.
Is it fair to Michael? Nope. But apparently that's his dream fight and he'll agree to whatever terms to get it. I'd wait for the official confirmation from the UFC, as there's a big chance McGregor was joking about the weight class.

The first odds (DraftKings) are slightly favouring McGregor to win, but I disagree, I think Chandler will win it easily.
https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/event/conor-mcgregor-vs-michael-chandler/29906392

I didn’t expect that McGregor would want to return, well, let’s see what happens, I see that the fight is tentatively expected at the end of June, although there is no official confirmation from the UFC yet. So both fighters will have enough time for preparation, but McGregor definitely needs to think about his lifestyle, I doubt that he cared about maintaining his shape, and starting all over again is not an easy thing.

Chandler replied that the middle division is suitable for him, but it is obvious that it is suitable for him only for the reason, that his opponent will be McGregor. 

[Hanadawa]

Chandler replied that the middle division is suitable for him, but it is obvious that it is suitable for him only for the reason, that his opponent will be McGregor. 

What do you mean by middle class? Is it middleweight or welterweight? I assume you mean welterweight? Because Chandler and McGregor are lightweight fighters and it's impossible for them to move up 2 divisions to fight, right?
When it comes to fit, I think Chandler is too short for Welterweight. He may benefit from greater muscle strength but the disadvantage of height will be detrimental to your reach which will put you at greater risk of being overpowered by counterattacks or attacks on your legs by a taller fighter.

[OgNasty]

Chandler replied that the middle division is suitable for him, but it is obvious that it is suitable for him only for the reason, that his opponent will be McGregor. 

What do you mean by middle class? Is it middleweight or welterweight? I assume you mean welterweight? Because Chandler and McGregor are lightweight fighters and it's impossible for them to move up 2 divisions to fight, right?
When it comes to fit, I think Chandler is too short for Welterweight. He may benefit from greater muscle strength but the disadvantage of height will be detrimental to your reach which will put you at greater risk of being overpowered by counterattacks or attacks on your legs by a taller fighter.

Seems to me like fighting at 185 gives McGregor a massive advantage over Chandler, but I’m guessing the amount of money being tossed around is probably enough for Chandler to say fuck it and take the fight anyway. He probably knows he doesn’t have much of a chance at that weight (or at all) but as they say, money talks.

[pawel7777]

Well after going toe to toe with Gaethje and taking all those strikes, you gotta realize that there's more than a coin flip's chance Chandler takes it to deep waters where McGregor starts getting into some cardio problems.  And with 30 more pounds in the cage I wouldn't be surprised that he'll be huffing and puffing around the final couple minutes for R2.

And if anything I think the heavier weight and the inactivity is going to work against McGregor that it would work against Chandler.

I'm sure there must've been a good reason that McGregor wants it to be at 185 (obviously it was his team's idea). Maybe the trick is that Conor will be dropping pounds to get down to the 185, while Chandler will have to bulk up a bit. And getting used to the extra weight could be harder than just slimming down a bit.
To give him some credit, I think in that announcement video McGregor looked less washed up than before and starting to look a little bit more like the old version of himself (emphasis on "a little bit").

Having recently earned his black belt in jiu-jitsu, maybe we'll see Conor taking it to the ground. If he manages to get on the top, he could get some rest and not gas out too soon.

UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2

I like neither of them but rooting for Ankalaev to finish the job.

Seems to me like fighting at 185 gives McGregor a massive advantage over Chandler, but I’m guessing the amount of money being tossed around is probably enough for Chandler to say fuck it and take the fight anyway. He probably knows he doesn’t have much of a chance at that weight (or at all) but as they say, money talks.

Both of them are too small (height/reach) to stay at 185, so it's almost definitely a one-off thing.

[bbc.reporter]

@pawel7777. On Ankalaev vs. Walker after witnessing how the fight begun and what occurred before the illegal elbow, everyone already knows that Ankalaev has the advantage on physical strength. However, Johnny Walker might have also learned much from this and he might have changed something in his training to fix this deficiency or he might have a new tactic created with his team to use against Ankalaev. I like the Russian on their first encounter but on this rematch where Johnny Walker knows and experienced Ankalaev's strength, Walker might use more footwork to avoid grappling with the Russian.

[YuginKadoya]

UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2



Date: January 13, 2024
Main Card: Sun, Jan 14 / 2:00 AM GMT+2
Prelims: Sun, Jan 13 / 11:00 PM GMT+3

Venue: UFC Apex

Main card (ESPN+)
Light Heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker            
Flyweight: Matheus Nicolau vs. Manel Kape            
Lightweight: Jim Miller vs. Gabriel Benítez            
Bantamweight: Ricky Simón vs. Mario Bautista            
Middleweight: Phil Hawes vs. Brunno Ferreira            
Heavyweight: Andrei Arlovski vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta   

Preliminary card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Welterweight: Matthew Semelsberger vs. Preston Parsons            
Bantamweight: Marcus McGhee vs. Gaston Bolanos            
Bantamweight: Farid Basharat vs. Taylor Lapilus            
Featherweight: Westin Wilson vs. Jean Silva            
Lightweight: Tom Nolan vs. Nikolas Motta            
Flyweight: Joshua Van vs. Felipe Bunes   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_Fight_Night:_Ankalaev_vs._Walker_2

Nice! TopTort777 this is an interesting fight for sure as Magomed Ankalaev might have the advantage with wrestling but we can not rule out that he can defeat Johnny Walker easily as this kid is surprisingly good and his athleticism is also great so I will not be surprised if Walker could win over a KO against Ankalev, as this is an interesting fight to really see, as their last fight was really frustrated, with the result, but we can see as this could also be the 3rd time where my bet for Ankalaev could again return to my wallet, whether it is no contest of a draw result

while The Maniac Marcus McGhee is an interesting new prospect from PFL and his 1st debut in the UFC was really amazing for sure he is training his ground game and grappling for now, but for sure I will make a bet that he will win against his opponent Gaston Bolaños, that is for sure,

I didn’t expect that McGregor would want to return, well, let’s see what happens, I see that the fight is tentatively expected at the end of June, although there is no official confirmation from the UFC yet. So both fighters will have enough time for preparation, but McGregor definitely needs to think about his lifestyle, I doubt that he cared about maintaining his shape, and starting all over again is not an easy thing.

Chandler replied that the middle division is suitable for him, but it is obvious that it is suitable for him only for the reason, that his opponent will be McGregor. 

With all that muscle and the weight that McGregor has given they need to reach that kind of weight for sure Chandler might not have a hard time getting used to that kind of weight class and may adapt to it late, while McGregor is now adapting to this weight class pretty much naturally for him as he is now training in this kind of stature,

What do you mean by middle class? Is it middleweight or welterweight? I assume you mean welterweight? Because Chandler and McGregor are lightweight fighters and it's impossible for them to move up 2 divisions to fight, right?
When it comes to fit, I think Chandler is too short for Welterweight. He may benefit from greater muscle strength but the disadvantage of height will be detrimental to your reach which will put you at greater risk of being overpowered by counterattacks or attacks on your legs by a taller fighter.

It seems that you didn't see the latest announcement of Conor McGregor to his X account that they will have a June fight against Michael Chandler we all thought that he was just trolling with the weight of 185 lbs but we will surely see for sure if that will be the real weight they will be fighting as we all know that McGregor is something in the Featherweight and revealing the weight that they need to make is truly hear scratching,

[Godday]

Both of them are too small (height/reach) to stay at 185, so it's almost definitely a one-off thing.

The reason why McGregor invited the fight at 185 is because currently McGregor has big muscles which are equivalent to weighing 185 or even more. Lastly, I saw that there was a clear difference in McGregor's current physique. And I'm sure he won't be able to reach Lightweigt's weight, that's why he asked for the fight to be held at 185. On the other hand, Conor also has the advantage that for the 185 class, Chandler has to increase his weight and we know that fighters who increase their weight often don't end up winning, unless if that is your natural weight. This could look like when Adesanya moves up to 205 and Pereira moves up to 205. We know Adesanya is too skinny there while Pereira does have a natural weight above 205.

[TopTort777]

Both of them are too small (height/reach) to stay at 185, so it's almost definitely a one-off thing.

The reason why McGregor invited the fight at 185 is because currently McGregor has big muscles which are equivalent to weighing 185 or even more. Lastly, I saw that there was a clear difference in McGregor's current physique. And I'm sure he won't be able to reach Lightweigt's weight, that's why he asked for the fight to be held at 185. On the other hand, Conor also has the advantage that for the 185 class, Chandler has to increase his weight and we know that fighters who increase their weight often don't end up winning, unless if that is your natural weight. This could look like when Adesanya moves up to 205 and Pereira moves up to 205. We know Adesanya is too skinny there while Pereira does have a natural weight above 205.

Here is what I see them in 185

Since you have mentioned Pereira, imagine he would cut again and come back to middleweight. Pereiva vs Conor. That gonna be a brutal beating. As to Conor to be able to get back to lightweight - I think he is able to cut. He was a featherweight once after all. The issue is he not just be able to reach, he dont want to cut, he has no motivation anymore. Imho if he would be motivated with money, he would go down to flyweight.

[tokeweed]

Well after going toe to toe with Gaethje and taking all those strikes, you gotta realize that there's more than a coin flip's chance Chandler takes it to deep waters where McGregor starts getting into some cardio problems.  And with 30 more pounds in the cage I wouldn't be surprised that he'll be huffing and puffing around the final couple minutes for R2.

And if anything I think the heavier weight and the inactivity is going to work against McGregor that it would work against Chandler.

I'm sure there must've been a good reason that McGregor wants it to be at 185 (obviously it was his team's idea). Maybe the trick is that Conor will be dropping pounds to get down to the 185, while Chandler will have to bulk up a bit. And getting used to the extra weight could be harder than just slimming down a bit.
To give him some credit, I think in that announcement video McGregor looked less washed up than before and starting to look a little bit more like the old version of himself (emphasis on "a little bit").

Having recently earned his black belt in jiu-jitsu, maybe we'll see Conor taking it to the ground. If he manages to get on the top, he could get some rest and not gas out too soon.

I'm pretty sure with all the partying and the rich lifestyle McGregor doesn't to cut weight anymore.  And he knows he's not gonna climb the rankings and go fight for a belt in any weight class anymore so all he's got is to get into these dog and pony shows and get his money.  His team doesn't call the shots, McGregor does.

And I didn't know he has a black belt in BJJ now...  Let's see how he does against a 185 lbs Chandler on top throwing bombs at him.  

 Also, lets us all wish tokeweed not to be so lazy this year and update second post of this topic more regularly As the last event was in October according to it.

I'm here thinking wtf is this guy talking about?  Then I went to the second post.  LOL.

[TopTort777]

Also, lets us all wish tokeweed not to be so lazy this year and update second post of this topic more regularly As the last event was in October according to it.

I'm here thinking wtf is this guy talking about?

During all these years I have spent in this topic, this is probably the best description of my posts and general vision lol

Light Heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker            

Nice! TopTort777 this is an interesting fight for sure as Magomed Ankalaev might have the advantage with wrestling but we can not rule out that he can defeat Johnny Walker easily as this kid is surprisingly good and his athleticism is also great so I will not be surprised if Walker could win over a KO against Ankalev, as this is an interesting fight to really see, as their last fight was really frustrated, with the result, but we can see as this could also be the 3rd time where my bet for Ankalaev could again return to my wallet, whether it is no contest of a draw result

Ankalaev is in tricky situation right now. He had a tough start in UFC, but built a perfect record in it. Now his last fights are draw and NC. I believe you agree that it looks strange to see such in guys record, who some people predicted to be next light heavyweight champion. Now, even if he wins Walker, I am sure UFC gonna make him have one or two more fights, when he might have an attempt to take title from Pereira.

[pawel7777]

As to Conor to be able to get back to lightweight - I think he is able to cut. He was a featherweight once after all. The issue is he not just be able to reach, he dont want to cut, he has no motivation anymore. Imho if he would be motivated with money, he would go down to flyweight.

The general rule is, that the older you get the harder it is to cut weight. Also, lower weight classes are more dynamic, so require more speed and agility, whereas in higher classes you could get by with just technique and strength.
So, on second thought, going middle-weight and then just cherry-picking opponents from lower divisions and forcing them to bulk up is probably the best bet for Conor.

Ankalaev is in tricky situation right now. He had a tough start in UFC, but built a perfect record in it. Now his last fights are draw and NC. I believe you agree that it looks strange to see such in guys record, who some people predicted to be next light heavyweight champion. Now, even if he wins Walker, I am sure UFC gonna make him have one or two more fights, when he might have an attempt to take title from Pereira.

Except there's no one else in light heavyweight that Pereira could face next and he doesn't get any younger so won't be willing to wait until another worthy contender rise up. So if Ankalaev goes past Walker, he will almost definitely get a shot, unless Pereira goes back down to middleweight to face Strickland or Du Plessis (or McGregor  ).

[YuginKadoya]

Here is what I see them in 185

Since you have mentioned Pereira, imagine he would cut again and come back to middleweight. Pereiva vs Conor. That gonna be a brutal beating. As to Conor to be able to get back to lightweight - I think he is able to cut. He was a featherweight once after all. The issue is he not just be able to reach, he dont want to cut, he has no motivation anymore. Imho if he would be motivated with money, he would go down to flyweight.

Well, he can use Steroids to cut weight, but the bulkier he is the more weight gain, I don't really know how that is going to work but there are legal steroids he can try but I think if it's against the UFC or not that is the question because the steroid is still steroid and cutting weight with it is for sure cheating and could be seen when he will have the USADA test but because there is no USADA maybe it could be seen with the latest UFC drug testing that they provided, if he wants to get back into lightweight or a smaller weight class,

But that picture is hilarious for sure those fat Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler are ready to fight each other even if it looks like they could burst when they punch each other, that is a good one,

-snip-

Ankalaev is in tricky situation right now. He had a tough start in UFC, but built a perfect record in it. Now his last fights are draw and NC. I believe you agree that it looks strange to see such in guys record, who some people predicted to be next light heavyweight champion. Now, even if he wins Walker, I am sure UFC gonna make him have one or two more fights, when he might have an attempt to take title from Pereira.

Both fighters have their unique style for sure Magomed Ankalaev is very versatile with his ground game, however as I have seen Johnny Walker has improved much in his recent fights sure he now has great takedown defense aswell but because Magomed Ankalaev has the power advantage I think he can get the takedown eventually but Johnny Walker has the speed advantage that is for sure as this is an interesting fight, the fight between Power and Speed, who's going to win,

[Synchronice]

Everyone and their dog call out McGregor, as he's seen as an easy target with a huge payout, but the chances that Topuria would get that fight are close to zero. There's no reason for the UFC to match them up.

I think that chances of that fight will be zero. If anyone is going to boost sales, it's only Conor in this case, not Topuria and why will Conor fight Topuria when fight with other opponents will generate better paycheck?

For me Ilia Topuria is a technical fighter, you can say that Alexander Volkanovski might have some doubts about him while he is fighting Topuria for me this is a very close fight as both fighters are very technical but for me, Ilia Topuria has the size and reach advantage for sure but because Volkanovski is known to move his head and goes inward the shots he can counter Ilia Topuria for sure, and both fighters also are accommodated with wrestling so both are very well-balanced, but I still don't know if who am I going to make my bet but I am leaning to Ilia Topuria even more,

I was going to bet on Volkanovski but his performance in his last fight against Islam Makhachev was so poor that I don't have any hopes he will do any better against Topuria. I want also to say that while Volk struggles, Topuria does super well, hasn't had any decline in performance and is probably super confident about his upcoming fights, especially after seeing Volk's performance, he must be way more confident that he will beat him. I bet that Ilia will win this fight, this guy is amazing, he will definitely be the next superstar of UFC.