Preview: UFC Fight Night 121 ‘Werdum vs. Tybura’

Catchweight

Alexander Volkanovski (15-1) vs. Shane Young (11-3)

ODDS: Volkanovski (-700), Young (+500)

ANALYSIS: As you can likely tell from the catchweight listed above, this fight is a late fixer-upper, as Volkanovski, winner of 12 straight and owner of a 2-0 mark in the UFC, was scheduled to face Jeremy Kennedy. He got hurt and was replaced by Humberto Bandenay who also got hurt. It was supposed to be the Philippines’ Drex Zamboanga, until he was hamstrung by visa issues. Now, Young makes his UFC debut on a week’s notice against a legitimate featherweight prospect.

Young is at his best leading the action on the feet, working a steady, combination-based kickboxing attack. He has some chops on the ground. However, he is not a particularly good takedown defender, and though he has the ability to work back to his feet, it seems unlikely that he is going to be able to deal with the constant pressure of Volkanovski’s wrestling and boxing attack.

The 29-year-old Volkanovski’s defense can lapse for moments, but his best defense is his indefatigable offensive battering. He took down Yusuke Kasuya three times and landed 55 strikes in seven minutes, and in June, he took down former Sengoku champion Mizuto Hirota four times and landed 93 strikes to win all three rounds. Hirota also hit the deck courtesy of “Alexander the Great’s” massive overhand right. He smashes opponents standing, wrestles smartly and then unloads from half guard and in scrambles, doing steady and considerable damage with endless punching.

Even if he was not fighting on a week’s notice, Young would be taking a major step up in competition against a terrible style match for him, and it figures to show. He cannot overcommit to striking or he will be swiftly taken down, and he cannot lay back and attempt to counter, lest Volkanovski jump all over him and start hitting him with right hands and takedowns. Volkanovski makes the best of a bad situation and beats up Young, stopping him in the first 10 minutes.

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