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[–]iritianOne way ticket to Khamzatstan 1078 points1079 points  (115 children)

Not much of an argument for anyone else at FW getting a shot at Volk

[–]JimJonesdrinkkoolaid 367 points368 points  (59 children)

I'd like to see Arnold Allen get the opportunity, but he needs a win over a top 5 opponent to get the next shot and Volk will probably want to have moved on by then.

[–]iritianOne way ticket to Khamzatstan 190 points191 points  (37 children)

I think him and Mitchell are likely a win or 2 away but we'll have to see what Volk's plans are.

[–]GreatGuy-NeverMetHim 117 points118 points  (18 children)

Mitchell vs Ortega, Allen vs Kattar. If Allen or Mitchell win give them the next shot. But like you said, maybe Volk doesn’t want to wait around that long for that to play out.

[–]namey_of_the_user 38 points39 points  (13 children)

I'd say just match Mitchell with Allen so there's an actual fresh contender. Otherwise if Kattar and Ortega wins in your situation, the division reaches an awkward state. Then again, if Ortega got a title shot after getting only one win back after the dominant Holloway loss, maybe Kattar also deserves one after getting two top wins.

[–]StipesRightHandOlive Era 36 points37 points  (7 children)

Allen getting a title shot after beating Mitchell doesn’t seem right. same goes for Mitchell with Allen.

Don’t get me wrong It gets weird if Ortega wins, but that’s about it. If Mitchell beats Ortega you got a contender. If Allen beats him you got a contender. If they beat Kattar, you got a contender. even if Kattar wins, that’s 3 in a row. Give him a shot.

[–]namey_of_the_user 13 points14 points  (6 children)

Good point, yeah. There's also Emmet tbf, he might be one win away from a title shot

[–]seymour_hineyJosh Fabia did nothing wrong 5 points6 points  (3 children)

yep just gotta get these guys in the top 5 to fight each other. obviously Zabit is basically retired but Ortega and Yair fighting every blue moon is bad business. if the UFC wants to push Mitchell they'd give him Yair as soon as possible lmao that's the easiest path to a title shot. Arnold Allen v Kattar seems like the fight to make since they both want it, and then you could do Emmett v Ortega. they just gotta shake it up now, but sadly will probably get Ortega Yair and stagnate the division further

[–]bobbybeard1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Everyone in featherweight is seemingly one fight from a title shot. It's turning into flyweight at this stage

[–]Jaza_music 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It would be an awkward state but a correct one. At least then it gives Volk a quite clear path to either Max 3 or a move up to LW.

[–]BFeerod 18 points19 points  (2 children)

I'm high on Josh Emmett as well

[–]WhereIsMyKidAt 14 points15 points  (0 children)

For once in his life he’s not injured after a fight, and I don’t see anyone throwing his name out there in this thread. Pain.

[–]LuberLibreTTV 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Emmett vs Yair would be a scrap and a half

[–]MelKepz 83 points84 points  (11 children)

I lkke Bryce and picked him to beat Edson. But I think he gets mauled by Volk. Just don't see his style working vs Volk

I think Allen could potentially be interesting though we do need to see him vs a top 5 and have him win impressively. Would watch Arnold vs Ortega or Kattar

[–]LocoCoopermar 25 points26 points  (5 children)

Same thoughts honestly, Arnold could at least present a challenge in the striking whereas I can't see Bryce being able to get and hold Volk down and he'd get lit up on the feet worse than anybody Volk has fought so far.

[–]Caelum_au_Cylus 5 points6 points  (3 children)

If Mitchell get a new boxing coach and works on his stand up like crazy he's got a decent chance, his ground game is levels above others.

[–]seymour_hineyJosh Fabia did nothing wrong 3 points4 points  (0 children)

have we actually seen anyone really try to wrestle Volk? i haven't watched his fight with Mendes in a bit but i remember them really brawling with each other

[–]HerbDeanosaur 34 points35 points  (3 children)

Allen vs Kattar would be a banger

[–]namey_of_the_user 23 points24 points  (2 children)

Allen vs anyone and Kattar vs anyone is a banger. Matching them up is such fireworks

[–]WhereIsMyKidAt 15 points16 points  (1 child)

Allen vs anyone and Kattar vs anyone is a banger

Look at the rankings, pretty much anyone vs anyone is a banger at FW. The least exciting guy is probably Evloev and even he’s a beast.

[–]namey_of_the_user 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah, such an awesome division

[–]NoGiCollarChokeSal “Beastin’ 30-27” D’Amato 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately for Mitchell, Allen already called dibs on the one FW who fights down the rankings, so he’ll have to wait

[–]Suspicious_Candle27 29 points30 points  (9 children)

Isnt allen like rank 6 atm? I think thats high enough ranked to be considered for a title fight imo especially considering the Korean zombie might drop down a few ranks after the loss.

[–]JimJonesdrinkkoolaid 36 points37 points  (7 children)

Yeah but I feel like the UFC would want him to have a win over Kattar, Yair, Ortega or Holloway first. All very tough fights. He doesn't really have a signature win yet I don't think. Hooker is a name but that's about it at featherweight.

[–]fnigler 5 points6 points  (2 children)

Allen called for Kattar in his octagon interview so let's hope that happens.

[–]dzongi 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Maybe even Yair if he beats Ortega

[–]rohinton 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Arnie doesn't deserve it quite yet but I want to see it. It's just how things end up working when you have a dominant champ anyway. I'd be equally happy with Max 3 or Allen.

[–]Verisian- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Youre probably right but it would be great to throw Allen in as Volks last FW fight. The guys got a great resume and passes the eye test.

[–]watties12Team Teixeira 89 points90 points  (20 children)

Because no one fucking fights down at FW. Give it to Arnold, Josh or Bryce. If you're not gonna fight down you get skipped that simple. Ortega and Yair need to stop clogging the division.

[–]BRlEN 4 points5 points  (0 children)

this is why i hate rankings in mma. i preferred it before where you knew around where each fighter stood but wasn't definitive so fighters weren't ducking guys as they were in the similar area. Putting a number by it just stifles wanting to fight down (also the rankings are made by random ass people)

[–]adayonerWHERE YOU AT MCNUGGETS? 37 points38 points  (17 children)

I mean we have the same problem at WW. Only people who have fought down recently are Burns and Wonderboy. They're still giving Leon a shot despite the fact he's never beaten a top 5 guy while they are actually in the top 5.

I guess Jorge and Colby are now willing to fight down/each other cuz they both lost twice already...

[–]That_Vandal_RandallGSP's Wall of Meat 50 points51 points  (8 children)

Leon has been owed a shot for a good while now though, and his long layoff pre-Nate wasn't really anything he could control. If memory serves, that stretch to now, he's been booked to fight Tyron, Khamzat, Jorge- at LEAST once for each- and stuff just happened. The Belal situation was lousy but trending heavily in favor of Edwards, and theNate fight was as expected, but he did as expected and got the win. Given his trajectory, even if he wasn't the higher ranked fighter at the time of each booking, he's accepted what amounts to a fairly substantial risk, which many fighters across multiple divisions often refuse.

I don't think it's fair to fault Leon given that normal injuries and a literal global pandemic kept him on the shelf

[–]aka_cone 24 points25 points  (4 children)

He beat RDA when he was rank 4.

[–]ThroatRipTurkey 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Why do Leon's wired haters still play dumb?

[–]Disastrous_Long_600 39 points40 points  (17 children)

I think it's part of the issue with having such elite champ and number 1 contender. Anyone wanting a title shot should have to go through Max, and Max is levels above anyone else not named Volk in the division. It's a weird spot to be. Max absolutely should be next, but it's hard to get anyone else in there when he has an iron grip on the 1 spot.

Same thing in middleweight in my opinion. Getting to the title goes through Whittaker, and I don't think anyone does. Whittaker/Isreal is super similar to Max/Volk, both levels above the division and could beat each other on any given night. But how many times can you fight the same dude.

[–]d00ns 5 points6 points  (1 child)

Yeah Max took out Katar and Yair, who definitely would have given Volk a better fight than Zombie.

[–]BillaloneThis is not my bus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was making this point the other day, while Yair gave Max a super hard fight, stylistically peaking I think Volk manhandles him. You can never count out Yair, but he got outwrestled by Max Holloway. Volkanovski would run through him on athleticism alone.

[–]HarrySchlong33 33 points34 points  (5 children)

Max/Volk are closer than Israel/Whittaker, but I get your point.

[–]friskedatthecheckout 62 points63 points  (4 children)

On the contrary: Hawaii is further from New Zealand than Australia is.

[–]M_Drinks 13 points14 points  (0 children)

When is Zabit coming back?

[–]Holdmabeerdude 18 points19 points  (8 children)

I still think a third fight with Max and Yair would present serious challenges to Volk. Max arguably won the second, and Yair is probably the most dynamic striker in the division and had a relatively close fight with Max recently.

[–]Rawlypne 19 points20 points  (2 children)

I think Yair presents a lot of problems for Volk on the feet but he was getting outwrestled by Max, Volk would probably wrestle fuck Yair.

[–]Johnny_PoppyseedYa crab in a bucket mofo. 19 points20 points  (1 child)

Yeah volk is 100% a gameplanner too. He'll almost surely go for the Frankie Edgar approach against yair. Grind out and fucking maul him.

Honestly I'd love that fight because it'd be fucking brutal lol. Every beginning of the rounds you'd be a bit edge of your seat, waiting to see if yair can pull off some crazy spin KO, then the rest would be volk just absolutely breaking him down. Round 4 or 5 stoppage with yair an absolute bloody mess.

[–]Rawlypne 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Nah I'm sick of seeing Volk brutalize my favorite fighters man😭 absolutely violated TKZ.

[–]BaddyVedder 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Max deserves a 3rd fight.

[–]calistrat1991 56 points57 points  (2 children)

I’m sure he would be fine at 155. He used to be 375lbs when he played rugby.

[–]luciform44 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I heard it was 590 lbs.

[–]uncleprankgonesexual 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wanted to make this reference but you beat me to it.

[–]espada_da 248 points249 points  (18 children)

Volk vs Chandler let’s goooooo

[–]mikey_rambo 47 points48 points  (0 children)

Plz daddy Dana

[–]thicccboy_whiskey 35 points36 points  (13 children)

It's over for chandelier after 2nd round

[–]ndu867 29 points30 points  (10 children)

The first two rounds are gonna be insanely dangerous for Volk though. How many bombs can he take? Because to beat Chandler you’re gonna have to eat a few.

[–]GanksOPTeam Adesanya 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think he is a notch faster and smarter with his footwork. The wrestling would be an interesting challenge. Never has Volk had to go in with a bigger guy like chandler with a wrestling pedigree.

[–]Kgb725 3 points4 points  (8 children)

Olives has been dropped like 4 times in his past 2 fights. Hooker was always a bit overrated and Gaethje loves to brawl. Volk is capable of shutting down those bombs

[–]ThreeOlivesChihuahuaTeam Aldo 490 points491 points  (75 children)

The margin of error is much smaller against dangerous MF’s like Oliveira or Gaethje.

Volk might be leagues ahead on the feet technically speaking but LW’s will be even more durable and stronger. It’ll be interesting to see how Volk deals with the pressure of LW’s like Oliveira or Gaethje. I’m down for him to get the LW title shot

[–]Suspicious_Candle27 305 points306 points  (54 children)

Gaethje sounds like a actual nightmare for Volk , Volk wont be able to take him down and i cant see Volk being able to sustain the damage Justin will do to him especially considering Max had Volk wobbling

[–]ThreeOlivesChihuahuaTeam Aldo 181 points182 points  (8 children)

Gaethje’s leg kicks are no joke either. A few of those clean Gaethje leg kicks would do tings to Volk’s style.

KZ’s only success was landing a couple leg kicks that did an okay amount of damage and made Volk respect KZ’s kicks

[–]LiquidAurumTeam Nurmagomedov 33 points34 points  (0 children)

I doubt he'd just eat the leg kicks though, I imagine he'd train to either avoid them or check them.

[–]Macktologist 66 points67 points  (0 children)

I want to see more Gaethje fights, but against not ground guys. When he's standing, it's incredibly entertaining. Obviously, that's not how MMA works, but still.

[–]Doo-StealYour-HoChoi 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Yeah I think Volk has a pretty decent chance against Oliveira. Little less of a chance against Gaethje, and almost No chance if Islam gets a hold of the belt first.

[–]GiantRobotBears 16 points17 points  (4 children)

Volk is fantastic at checking leg kicks. Still tho, he’s way too small for FW.

[–]stopshadowbanningme4 2 points3 points  (0 children)

volk is short but not small. He can put on alot of mass on his short frame

[–]O_Glorious_Cult 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Gregor fights at LW and he's not too dissimilar to Volk even though one could argue he should go down to FW.

[–]toohottooheavy 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Way too small for FW?

[–]didyoutestityourself 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Nobody said it would be easy, but it certainly seems like he should go up to LW to get competitive matchups.

Volk vs anyone top 5 LW is insanely interesting.

[–]raspberryharbour 6 points7 points  (1 child)

I feel like Volko's insane speed and fight IQ would have him outpointing Gaethje but once one of those Gaethje bombs lands it's a different fight. Blisteringly hot take I know

[–]These_Landscape6490 2 points3 points  (0 children)

so FACKIN HAWT

[–]DeadSaintTeam Ngannou 92 points93 points  (14 children)

Skill for skill I don’t think there is such a thing as a nightmare matchup for volk. Man’s game has shown basically no holes.

[–]Unerring_Grace 64 points65 points  (12 children)

Islam is his nightmare matchup. A big, powerful wrestler with an outstanding takedown game and smothering control. That's not a man you want to be giving an extra 10lbs to.

[–]LocoCoopermar 23 points24 points  (9 children)

That's kinda the crazy thing though is besides that 10 pounds I don't know if Islam provides much of a stylistic challenge for Volk, extra size definitely would help but if they were similar sized I can't see Islam being able to get going really. Never know till it happens but I feel like Volk may be too strong for most anyone under 170.

[–]SquidDrive 27 points28 points  (0 children)

Makhahchev is a diffetent caliber of wrestler than anyone Volk has faced. Like that dude is a monster technically.

[–]LehenLong 46 points47 points  (2 children)

When's the last time volk fought a grappler that's anywhere near as good as makhachev? If Ortega can take you down twice I don't see why he won't get ragdolled by islam.

People seem to think that Volk has Usman like takedown defense when in reality he has been taken down a fair amount of time in the ufc.

[–]qazxcvbnmlpoiuytreww 31 points32 points  (1 child)

ortega didnt take him down, he knocked him off balance w a jab

[–]debaser337 21 points22 points  (0 children)

He did take him down in the 4th.

[–]ultimatelywhoknows 24 points25 points  (1 child)

Islam manhandled Davi Ramos who's built like Crash Bandicoot and has leagues better grappling than Volk. I like Volk, but Islam is a different animal.

[–]cumboy187187 2 points3 points  (0 children)

right? i see and respect Volk’s skill-level, that’s rock solid. but how the fuck can you not respect Islam’s skill-level?

I’m coming at this completely unbiased, because I don’t have any emotional affinity towards either fighter. So I can see that matchup and know that Volk would inevitably get taken down and GnP’d by Islam.

Islam would pressure Volk and constantly shoot for takedowns until he gets them. And then you factor in the size differential? Volk’s power will not affect a LW the same way it affects FWs.

I’d put money on Islam by either TKO or sub in less than 3, tbh.

[–]sercus97 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Makhachevs grappling is far above Volk's. If he gets taken down he isn't getting back up until the end of the round.

[–]vikumwijekoon97 19 points20 points  (6 children)

Gaethje is considerably slower than Max and Volk. Hes gotta touch Volk for him to deal damage. But if he does, oooh thats gonna sting.

[–]Suspicious_Candle27 19 points20 points  (5 children)

Thats a very good point especially since for some reason Volk appears to be getting faster each fight . the counter argument for this is that the fight isnt at 145 it is at 155 so volk will need to buff up a bit and lose some speed or not buff up at all and lose the ability to wrestle

[–]Soularion 5 points6 points  (3 children)

Feels like Chandler is a pretty good comparison point for Volk, right? The same insane athleticism and wrestling game. Chandler is probably more powerful (though we'll see, Volk's power remains scary) but Volk's tactics & gameplanning are just levels and levels above.

Feels like looking at how Chandler/Gaethje went, I could see Volk winning that matchup, but Gaethje could also 100% put him out or seriously compromise him. Fascinating.

[–]kinzer13 16 points17 points  (8 children)

He would be so much faster than Gaethje that it is an interesting fights. Volk might be the fastest fighter I have ever seen, and I've been watching MMA for over twenty years.

[–]Swimdemon91 41 points42 points  (7 children)

Mighty Mouse

[–]kinzer13 25 points26 points  (4 children)

That's true. But watching MM fight, I'm more impressed by the smoothness in which he fights. Everything he throws is clean and fluid.

Volk is like, blink and you miss him dart six feet across the cage and throw a bomb before his opponent has time to react.

So I guess with Volk it's the combination of speed, timing, and power that I am so impressed by.

[–]richochet12 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Was was legit landing 3 strikes on Zombie before he could even react to the first. Insane

[–]LocoCoopermar 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Mighty Mouse was consistently fast, fast movement, combos and defense but I don't think he has the quickness/"acceleration" that Volk has. Volk is already super fast on his feet with good combos and counters but I feel like the thing that really makes him stand out is his ability to change speed/accelerate so quickly into a combo or in the middle of a counter, he may be throwing normal jabs and leg kicks then suddenly he throws a combo that is twice as crisp and quick as anything else he's thrown. I also think a lot of his speed comes from the fact that he's anticipating what opponents are going to do based off of his feints and offense, similar to Anderson anticipating counters and looking super human, Volk knows how your most likely to react and what you'll probably throw based on his position so he's pretty much countering or moving before you have even thrown the counter he knew was coming.

[–]mmathrowaway16176017 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I feel like Volk has above average speed, but he looked especially fast against KZ because KZ was legitimately fighting slow as shit in a lot of that fight. There was a few moments where he moves his head a bit and legitimately froze in place for a second.

For me in terms of just speed it would probably be Yair especially his kicks. I think he had a lot of moments against Stephens and Holloway where he's able to whip out leg kicks and high kicks in quick succession like nothing

[–]DetectiveBaby_LegsHow long must I wait? 2020 edition 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Nah Dodson was the fastest in UFC history

[–]HeebmeisterYou have to take safe your brain 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Volk is really really hard to hit, I don't see Justin being able to land the kind of damage were used to seeing from him like he did against Chandler, Tony, Edson or Cowboy.

[–]HarrySchlong33 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Volk vs Chandler would be a more interesting fight, it might give Chandler pitbull flashbacks.

[–]jxmzapho 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yeah but he said he's undefeated at middleweight lol just hasn't had a pro fight there. I'd like to see him fight at lightweight, the guy is a genius at game planning and strategy

[–]Zenyx_official Rebook names speller 7 points8 points  (8 children)

People really forget he was nearly getting strangled just 6 months ago by Ortega. I think he's in for a ton of trouble against a guy like Oliveira. Personally I think he'd do alright against Gaethje or Chandler but that's because they would likely be stand up fights

[–]BIG_YETI_FOR_YOUSeychelles 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Former FW Olivera is probably the most favourable fight for Volk if the lot there at 155

[–]Zenyx_official Rebook names speller 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I mean yeah, if Oliveira showed up drained for a FW title shot against him he'd get smoked, but at LW it's a different story imo. I think he has the best chance against Chandler, who is only 2 inches taller and wants to stand and bang.

[–]Rooksey 307 points308 points  (77 children)

I feel like he’s too small for LW, but what do I know

[–]MikeLitsbig 263 points264 points  (25 children)

But did you know, he used to weigh 200 pounds?

[–]movingthegoalposts 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Over 200 lbs.

[–]kingofcrobhappy new fucken steroid year 2 points3 points  (0 children)

yes joe, we know.

[–]flyingturkeycouchieI'd eat DC's dirty box. 3 points4 points  (16 children)

Can someone explain this to me?

[–]sniffybees 93 points94 points  (5 children)

He used to weigh 200 pounds

[–]Muhmuhmonee 9 points10 points  (3 children)

I'm not really getting this...

[–]obviously_drunkk 48 points49 points  (2 children)

they always bring it up how volk used to be 200lbs and play rugby, so you take a drink everytime it get brought up :)

[–]Missterfortune 23 points24 points  (6 children)

Joe Rogan likes to mention his weight… damn near everytime

Edit: he used to play rugby, google him from then

[–]adamsaidnooooo 41 points42 points  (1 child)

I think rogan has a crush on volk coz he is shorter and balder.

[–]StipesRightHandOlive Era 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Volk is 5’3”?

[–]OctagonViolenceFragile Fatass 19 points20 points  (2 children)

Actually Dom "The Researcher" Cruz was the first one to bring it up. Ever since, Joe loved loved to mention it.

[–]bregoladScotland 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Speaking of Prof Cruz, been a while since he gave one of his lectures on underhooks

[–]SclogPaper Yan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wondering if we haven’t heard him on the mic cause he’s in focus mode getting ready for a fight… let’s hope! He put in a great performance against Munhoz last time

[–]catpower19 3 points4 points  (1 child)

According to Joe, he used to weight 214 lbs. This got memed a lot bc Joe seems to bring it up often and initially he mistakenly said 240 lbs.

[–]dr_bigly 95 points96 points  (13 children)

He's got an inch reach advantage over Gaethje - 2 inches shorter than Costa's.

Legit got telescopic shoulders

[–]CryBoi1738 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Don't tell Rogan. He'll salivate over the ape index.

[–]Pill_Murray_ 8 points9 points  (2 children)

Volk vs Chandler would be a baaaanger tho!! 2 propane tanks fighting eachother

[–]msgrimm12Death Zone Gaethje 3 points4 points  (0 children)

volk vs big mendes

[–]gs181This is sucks 40 points41 points  (10 children)

He's around the same size as Chandler, he should be fine

[–]Johnny_PoppyseedYa crab in a bucket mofo. 18 points19 points  (2 children)

Eh the main thing that keeps chandler in play at lightweight is that he has fucking nukes for hands. Volk has power but he doesn't have that kind of power.

That said, I think he'd beat chandler lol. But yeah I think the majority of top lightweight guys take the win over volk.

[–]gs181This is sucks 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Give Volk 10 more pounds and I think you're gonna see some nukes. The dude is strong as fuck already at 145

[–]DrunkMarkJacksonTeam Sterling 3 points4 points  (3 children)

I think he wins vs gaethje but olivera is a problem for him with that length and striking

[–]NonProfitMohammedCameroon 3 points4 points  (1 child)

He can't be submitted though so there goes that idea for Olivera.

[–]DrunkMarkJacksonTeam Sterling 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Haha true however there are levels and olivera is on his own level

[–]genesis1v9 7 points8 points  (3 children)

I feel like for his style it doesn’t really matter. Weight difference won’t be that much of an issue for him, and his style actually matches well with fighters that have more reach (see how he fought Max twice and his fights since).

[–]BFeerod 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You know how you feel

[–]En_Sabah_NurTeam Namajunas 27 points28 points  (14 children)

He is too small; you're right. This isn't a Cejudo situation, Volk would struggle against every single top 5 LW.

[–]Legendary_Hercules 38 points39 points  (1 child)

That's why it'd be interesting to see him try it.

[–]X-ScissorSisters 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It would definitely be a big challenge for Volk. Sounds like he wants to be challenged instead of sitting around on top of the mountain at FW

[–]HeebmeisterYou have to take safe your brain 50 points51 points  (10 children)

Size difference isn't that much between him and the other top guys, and his entire fight style is built around beating taller guys, I think he'd be a very tough out against Gaethje, Poirier, Chandler and Oliveira.

[–]En_Sabah_NurTeam Namajunas 20 points21 points  (2 children)

For sure, and I'm certainly not saying he couldn't win. Its just everyone you listed would have a marked advantage imo. Volk is an absolute monster and probably one of the highest fight IQs in the sport.

He could definitely win on any given Saturday

[–]OctagonViolenceFragile Fatass 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Ah right. Michael "6'0" Chandler, who will tower over Volk

[–]Muhmuhmonee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Who the hell are we to tell him no though?

Let him try it. It'll be interesting at the very least.

[–]SnooPuppers58 23 points24 points  (1 child)

Size matters, I'm sure he'll do decently at LW but he's gonna have much tougher fights

[–]Jdgannett777Team Volkanovski 126 points127 points  (30 children)

Luke Thomas suggested testing the waters at 155lbs by fighting RDA, similar to Silva did during his run at MW and LHW. I think that is a great idea and a perfect fight for both of them since RDA and Volk are not likely to get a titleshot with the minor logjam at the top of the division currently

[–]kinzer13 112 points113 points  (8 children)

RDA is no joke. The risk isn't worth it. He should either fight for a title or just stay at FW and collect heads. He is a P4P top fighter and he shouldn't be taking risky fights against gate keepers.

[–]GiantRobotBears 42 points43 points  (1 child)

Holloway should actually be the one who moves up to face RDA. He’d skip the line pretty quick at 155 if he wins that.

[–]cramsay 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Think the problem with Holloway is the Dustin fight showing he was just too small/couldn't take the punches anywhere near to as well at lightweight. Maybe if he made it clear he was committing to a bulk first, then beat RDA the hype would be there.

[–]ndu867 6 points7 points  (5 children)

I disagree. Collect the ppv points without risking his belt, fight a big name but probably isn’t posing the risk of a Chandler/Gaethje/Poirier, and see how the weight feels. No shame in losing to RDA, I don’t think a loss to RDA will hurt his brand. Similar to Izzy challenging Jan, I don’t think that hurt Izzy’s brand either.

[–]NaydawwwgThe goodest cunt in the world. 54 points55 points  (1 child)

Champions moving up don’t fight contenders, they typically get booked into immediate title fights.

[–]9FBI9Team Rose 8 points9 points  (0 children)

He just said in similar sense to Silva, see how well he can do before taking an extremely difficult fight for himself

[–]EzekiielTeam Asparagus 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That makes no sense for Volk though. He'll think he's good enough for a title shot, what does fighting RDA do for him?

[–]Ezra_El_Ali 10 points11 points  (3 children)

RDA is possibly the worst match up for him at 155. RDA’s game is too well rounded for Volk to take advantage of any weaknesses.

[–]richochet12 16 points17 points  (2 children)

Far from the worst. I'd favor Volk over RDA. I'd say Oliveira might be the worst

[–]0ldsqlCockgoblling Monkee 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'd say Islam. Hard to hit, decent strking, impossible to take down while very likely to take Volk down and also very dangerous regarding submissions.

Oliveira is bad too but more hittable than Islam I think.

[–]CrackBurgerPortugal 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Id argue Volk can knock Oliveira out if he can control the distance. RDA is really big, well rounded and crafty.

[–]GaMa-BinkieYou are hurt by Dana only speaking the truth 12 points13 points  (10 children)

Lol, RDA can’t catch a break.

Edit: You guys can’t see the irony in RDA who’s only fought straight killers and even the #1 p4p fighter in the world, is now being expected to fight the #3 p4p fighter who’s not even in his weight class?

[–]throwaway12648063 44 points45 points  (8 children)

Lol I’m sure he would relish the chance to fight someone smaller than him for once.

[–]NuttyMcCrunch 39 points40 points  (0 children)

Dude isnt wrong.

[–]nigeldog 141 points142 points  (28 children)

I guess I’d rather see him take a fight at 135 than 155. He’ll be pretty tiny at lightweight. But cutting from 500 lbs to 135 might be asking too much.

[–]BaptizedInBud 111 points112 points  (1 child)

No chance in hell Volk could make 135. That is a fantasy.

[–]DisneyTheMonopolyTeam Shevchenko 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I wouldn't be surprised if it was physically possible for volk to find a way down to 135. But it's still a terrible idea and his ability to perform would be greatly diminished. But technically he prob could if he was willing to see into the after life for a bit before he rehydrates lol

[–]IgnantWisdom 28 points29 points  (7 children)

Could Volk even make 135?

[–]AmeerVanGoghDan Hooker's broom 43 points44 points  (5 children)

No way, he's like 165 on fight night

[–]Abre_Los_OjosGreg Hardy did nothing wrong 18 points19 points  (2 children)

He said 77kgs the other night which is 170

[–]koltzito 7 points8 points  (1 child)

how the fuck

[–]JesburgerMY BALLZ WAS HOT 3 points4 points  (0 children)

he's built different

[–]CrackBurgerPortugal 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Volk could make 135, if he lost muscle mass AND cut even more weight. The TJ Dillashaw downfall.

[–]HeebmeisterYou have to take safe your brain 7 points8 points  (3 children)

Volk would have to cut off a chunk of his leg to make 135 lol

[–]These_Landscape6490 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah, man's got like big bones or some shit

[–]srtpg2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t want to see his soul leave his body like when Dillashaw dropped a weight class

[–]microPP5000 8 points9 points  (4 children)

Winner of Kattar vs Arnold gets the next shot at volk?

[–]GivePuppiesBazookasUnited States 9 points10 points  (3 children)

Giving it to Katter over Max would be hella insulting.

[–]Shim_Slady72 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Would be weird if kattar got a shkt because if he won then max would come in and beat the shit out of him again then volk would obviously try get that fight again

[–]Evi1_F3nix 44 points45 points  (7 children)

I'm tuning in for every Volk fight regardless of weight class but hopefully he just gets a little more active. He only fought once in 2020 and once in 2021. If he goes up I assume he is going to want some time to acclimate which means we might not see him again until the end of the year or into next year.

[–]tookittothelimit“I thought guy was working in Cirque du Soleil” 28 points29 points  (3 children)

Holy shit you’re right. Didn’t believe it at first but he really has only fought 3 times since 2020, makes you realize how slow moving featherweight is. Division doesn’t feel held up at all

[–]Evi1_F3nix 24 points25 points  (1 child)

I mean the division as a whole stays fairly active but Volk just hasn't needed to since it was him vs Max and then Max clapping some contenders to try and get another crack at it. There aren't a ton of dudes stacking up because contenders are beating each other so there aren't a lot of guys "worthy" recently.

[–]tookittothelimit“I thought guy was working in Cirque du Soleil” 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Fer sure B, great take on it all. Really is a shark tank after Max and Volk

[–]DisneyTheMonopolyTeam Shevchenko 10 points11 points  (0 children)

To be fair, he was scheduled to fight Ortega in early 2021, but lost most of the year recovering from Coivd.

[–]richochet12 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Probs would have fought twice in 2021 if he didn't catch COVID.

[–]LetMeOmixam 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Fuck it I want to see that shit

[–]smurf3310This is sucks 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Volk has a 4-1 record at WW and 4-0 at LW

[–]adanawhitebootlickerTeam Ngannou 4 points5 points  (0 children)

He could challenge Francis at HW cuz he use to be 220 lbs for sure. 😮

Imagine him banging it out with Mikey, Gaethje, Do Bronx, or Diamond at 55s. 😮

[–]dergsterCanada 17 points18 points  (0 children)

i would love to see volk vs max one more time, and then honestly yeah it's not a bad idea for him to test the waters at LW if he's still hungry

[–]wolfjeter 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Lowkey if he keeps the speed/power he has, he could be dangerous. He might get exposed by a straight wrestler like Islam but on the feet, Volk is diverse enough to pose problems. His leg kicks are also very fucking good and that seems to be a problem for the whole lightweight division lol.

[–]Zacaria666 40 points41 points  (16 children)

I honestly think he beats most lightweights, dudes a beast

[–]PonchoHung 16 points17 points  (3 children)

I think you can say that of the champ of almost any division.

[–]bregoladScotland 16 points17 points  (2 children)

Imagine Ngannou fighting the top 15 lightweights in a gauntlet match

[–]jlange94talk poop, get boop 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Like Arnold in Kindergarten Cop just flinging kids around.

[–]M3Z5G99A30V21AML9237 35 points36 points  (9 children)

Poirier would beat him

[–]Zacaria666 42 points43 points  (0 children)

I would bet on Poirier but I'd like to see that fight

[–]throwaway12648063 8 points9 points  (7 children)

I’d bet on Poirier but I think Volk can take him down.

[–]Suspicious_Candle27 10 points11 points  (0 children)

He can probably beat a lot of fighters at LW but when you start hitting top 5 i think he wont make it past them i just cant see how he beats Islam , Benny , Chandler, Dustin , Justin or Oliveria especially if it is a 3 rounder since it wont be a title fight (besides for Oliveria)

[–]madden_loser 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ll laugh my ass off if he cuts in front of Islam and he doesn’t get a shot until next year

[–]9FBI9Team Rose 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think Oliveira beats him but him vs Chandler would be awesome

[–]LobovIsGoatTeam Oliveira 2 points3 points  (0 children)

would be cool to see volkanovski vs oliveira but the lightweight division has too many people waiting for a title shot atm

[–]Oowaymike 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think Volk's skill set poses a serious threat to anyone in the LW division, but the length and extra pop the LWs carry could pose some problems. Max enjoyed such a long reach advantage at FW he looked a little befuddled by how often Poirier was able to touch him. Volk being short and stocky could be a problem. But hes so good at maximizing his reach, and his leg kick game is much better than anyone's at FW and LW imo. Would love to see him make the jump!

[–]atextmessage-Team Namajunas 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes. /thread

[–]Responsible_Emu3601 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Volk vs olives 🔥

[–]iSaloolyTeam ATT 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Him vs Oliveira sounds actually fun ngl.

[–]millmuff 18 points19 points  (25 children)

I think I'm in the minority but I have almost zero interest in another fight with Max.

[–]hallwaypoirear 12 points13 points  (23 children)

You dont like the highest level match up at 45.

[–]millmuff 33 points34 points  (22 children)

No, because we've already seen it twice before. lol

It's not a question of whether or not Max "could" beat him. Of course Max can win. I'd go as far to say Max wins 20% of the time he faces Volk. We already know the answer to these questions, so what's the point of running it back again and again.

It's the same situation with Whittaker. It's not that I don't think they're incredible fighters and don't have the ability to beat the guy holding the belt, it's that it doesn't prove to me anything I don't already know.

What happens if they do win? What is actually proven? Now we need to fight for a 4th, maybe even 5th time? It's just a waste of time for the champ and the fans imo.

[–]9FBI9Team Rose 11 points12 points  (4 children)

Exactly, no interest in Volk vs Max 3 or Whittaker vs Izzy 3. The champs need to defend against new people, not just rematch after rematch.

[–]BluePoptard 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think he's too short

[–]Teh_B00Heard Island and McDonald Islands 2 points3 points  (4 children)

I think i might be the minority here, but i don't really want to see it. It has not gone exactly well for other fighters. DC going out on back to back losses to Stipe. Conor winning one fight in the last few years (unless you count elderly men at the pub) I don't think the champ of two weight classes add that much more to your legacy then absolutely undefeated undisputed like prime Silva or Aldo. That seems to do more to put you in Goat status than "i won a extra belt but then got starched by someone whos physically much bigger than me".

[–]B_024 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t think he is big enough to move up but at the same time, there is really nothing for him at FW.

[–]chris25tx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Shheeesh imagine Volk vs winner of Oliveira/Gaethje 🔥 🥵

[–]FunkyFranky 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Volk beats everyone at lightweight except maybe Makhachev because of his size and grappling

[–]9FBI9Team Rose 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Volk doesn't beat Oliveira, the range, timing, and bjj will be too much. If Ortega can get him in a choke so can Oliveira, and Volk would not survive a choke from Oliveira

[–]param_T_extends_THOT 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He's not surviving a haymaker from Gaethje neither or pressure from DP. I would love to see Volk take his chances, but there's more tougher competition in the top 5 of LW than there is in the top 5 of FW