Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway UFC 251 Predictions, Picks & Odds 7/6/20
“The Great” Alexander Volkanovski will take on the “Blessed” Max Holloway in a big featherweight title fight at UFC 251 in Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates. Current champion Volkanovski comes into this matchup with a very favorable record of 21-1. His last match saw him defeat Holloway by unanimous decision where he won the UFC Featherweight championship for the first time in his career.
Holloway enters this fight following a loss against Volkanovski, but he still has a pretty good record at 21-5. Two of his last five matches have ended in losses, though, including a previous title match to determine the interim UFC Lightweight champion. Holloway looks to be at a disadvantage in this one, but is that how this fight will play out?
Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway Predictions
Well, before we get into the predictions, let’s have a look at a few of the facts and stats surrounding this fight:
Volkanovski
- Volkanovski comes into this fight on an 18-fight winning streak. As stated above, his last win was over Holloway for the UFC Featherweight Championship. His only recorded professional loss took place back in 2013.
- He has won more than 50% of his fights by knockout. He is also more than 50% likely to connect with a strike, which bodes badly for any opponent he fights.
- Another one of Volkanovski’s strengths is his ability to take down opponents and defend against opponent takedown attempts. This makes it hard for opponents to take control of the fight away from Volkanovski unless they are able to match him in quickness and physical strength.
Holloway
- Holloway comes into this fight following a loss against Volkanovski in December 2019. The match was decided by the judges who all voted in favor of Volkanovski. It’s fair to say that Holloway took quite the beating in the matchup, which was the second time this had happened in 2019.
- Holloway throws more strikes than Volkanovski in a matchup but is less likely to hit them. He also isn’t really a takedown artist averaging 0.24 takedowns per matchup.
- Despite being beaten up in two of his last fights, Holloway is probably one of the best-conditioned fighters in the UFC in terms of both physical and mental toughness. These two aspects combined make him a competitive fighter who can push for wins even when the match seems lost.
Our Prediction
To say that this is a tough one would be an understatement. Both Volkanovski and Holloway are great fighters with good records. It’s weird to see sportsbooks consider Holloway, an underdog; it’s actually the first time this has happened in three years. However, given the circumstances, we think it is warranted.
Holloway has been beaten up badly twice over the last year, and Volkanovski seems to be in very good form. So, we think that Volkanovski is the fighter to go with on this one. The moneyline doesn’t payout the extremely well, but we believe it’s the best bet.
