UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski sees Yair Rodriguez as a serious threat.
Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) will look to unify his belt with interim champ Rodriguez (15-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) on July 8 at UFC 290 in Las Vegas. Rodriguez captured the interim title with a flawless submission of Josh Emmett, showing that he’s more than just an exciting striker. So with his unique and versatile style, Volkanovski knows he has to be careful against Rodriguez.
“I’m looking at him as a real challenger, like he’s a dangerous fighter,” Volkanovski told The MacLife. “He could be one of the most dangerous fighters I’ve fought really. When you talk about unpredictability and knockout power and so many different tools, you need to take him really serious. I think I’m the best fighter in the world, so am I confident? Yeah, but I know not to take this guy lightly. He’s been dominating and looking good in his last few fights”
Volkanovski also thinks Rodriguez has evolved a lot as of late. “The Great” has continuously asked the division to make some noise, and he sees Rodriguez as a challenge that gets him excited.
“He was very good with his flashy stuff, but that’s all he sort of cared about,” Volkanovski said. “Now he looks like he’s a lot more comfortable at all ranges. He looks very unpredictable, when you’re pressuring him at a long range, no matter where it is, he can fire all different things from all different angles. That’s always a big threat, so it’s good. That’s when the master game planning and the fight IQ and all that type of stuff needs to come in, and (I’m) looking forward to it because, again, that excites me.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.
