Scouting Report: Alexander Volkanovski

Alexander Volkanovski

Born: September 29, 1988 (Age: 34) in Wollongong, Australia
Division: Featherweight
Height: 5’6”
Reach: 71.5”
Record: 25-1 (12-0 UFC)
Association: City Kickboxing/Freestyle Fighting Gym
Stage of Career: Prime

Summary: The aspects that make Volkanovski so great are not the flashiest. He has superb defense, some of the best in the sport. He has some of the sport’s very best cardio and can fight at a fast pace for the full five rounds. He is also incredibly smart, fighting opponents in a way to maximize his strengths and minimize their weapons, all while executing such plans beautifully. When combined with exceptional wrestling, ferocious ground-and-pound and excellent striking, especially his deadly right cross and overhand right, the total package is more than anyone has been able to handle in the UFC’s featherweight division. Volkanovski is immensely hard to hit, but even if one stays away from his right, he repeatedly scores with leg and body kicks, which prioritize speed and suddenness over power, making them exceptionally hard to counter. Because of his own top-notch takedown defense and his being among the very best at getting back to his feet, opponents are unlikely to beat him through grappling.

STRIKING

• Stance: Orthodox.
• Hand Speed: Average.
• Jab: A straight, technical and accurate blow. Would be even better if not for his average hand speed and shorter reach.
• Cross: Technical, straight right hand with plenty of power to it—he dropped Darren Elkins with it—though it lacks a little speed and suddenness.
• Left Hook: His weakest punch. It has a nice arc but is somewhat telegraphed. He does not get enough rotation, so it lacks power and fails to hurt opponents even when it lands flush. He also tends to pull his wrist outwards when throwing the shot.
• Overhand Right: His best punch. Thrown with tight, beautiful arc, lots of rotation, plenty of power and accuracy. It is also faster than his other blows.
• Uppercuts: Rarely uses them, which might be a shame, as he threw a gorgeous left uppercut to the body to set up the knockout sequence against Chad Mendes.
• Solitary Striker or Volume Puncher: More of a one-shot sniper who looks for openings and opportunities to counter, especially with his deadly right hand.
• Favorite Combination(s): The one-two.
• Leg Kicks: Favors speed and suddenness over power, so as not to be countered.
• Body Kicks: Carries similar properties to his leg kicks.
• Head Kicks: Bends over a little too much when throwing them and does not fully follow through, robbing them of a certain degree of power and allowing opponents the opportunity to block.
• Chains Kicks to Punches: Yes, and he does so exceedingly well.

Volkanovski may not be the most overwhelming fighter offensively, but he is good at almost everything. His kicks prioritize speed and suddenness over power, allowing him to consistently connect at range. He has a nice jab that, by contrast, actually favors power, and it is all meant to set up his powerful right hand, which is a major weapon, whether he throws it straight or the outstanding overhand variant. One area in which he is relatively lacking is the left hook—an oddly telegraphed and weak blow, beyond a strange technical flaw. However, the greatest aspect of Volkanovski’s standup is not mentioned above, and that is his superb movement and defense. He is incredibly fast at moving back and forth, with his feet at the perfect distance and coiled to spring. Plus, he is exceptionally hard to hit thanks to his subtle head movement and stellar blocking. Volkanovski’s offense may not be overly potent, but when he hits opponents who are unable to hit him back, does it matter?

CLINCH

• Physical Strength: A tremendously powerful featherweight.
• Technique: Fantastic at using his Greco-Roman base, with fine positioning and the ability to win the underhook battle.
• Knees: Wields a powerful, dangerous knee. He is accurate to the body but occasionally struggles to connect against much taller opponents, settling for their thighs instead.
• Elbows: Decent.
• Defense Against Knees/Elbows: Usually, opponents are too worried about Volkanovski’s grappling and own clinch striking, but he has eaten some knees and elbows in the clinch, too, partly due to his short stature.

Volkanovski is exceptionally dangerous in the clinch. He has a powerful, accurate knee, which often lands perfectly to the opponent’s solar plexus, and can also connect with an elbow to the head, though it lacks some oomph. He is also immensely strong and always threatening to garner the takedown. Volkanovski can be hit himself in the clinch, but he usually inflicts far more damage than he sustains.

GRAPPLING

• Wrestling from a Shot: Usually transitions quite well from striking to get a double-leg takedown.
• Wrestling in the Clinch: A definite area of strength, whether he hits outside trips and reaps of the leg or simply picks up opponents from the double-leg and slams them.
• Takedown Defense: Shows fantastic balance and angles off even against excellent grapplers. The only opponent who got him down multiple times was Mendes.
• Get-Ups: Superlative at hip escaping or, if need be, quickly butt scooting to the cage and then wall walking back to his feet immediately. Volkanovski can also sweep the opponent from the bottom, if necessary.
• Submissions: Limited, especially at his current level. He kept going for guillotines against Elkins, and while he obviously has a decent squeeze, it was not quite enough.
• Defense/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the Bottom: Difficult to say, as no one can keep him down for long.
• Top Control: Allows opponents too much space and does not control the wrists or hips well.
• Ground-and-Pound: Throws hard, accurate punches into which he turns his body nicely and can cut loose at a heavy rate of fire, with the occasional hard elbow. He can also rip punches to the body. Volkanovski stopped Jeremy Kennedy with strikes on the ground.

Volkanovski is an outstanding wrestler, whether it his quick transitions to the shot from striking or his even better clinch grappling, which few opponents at featherweight can resist, especially his powerful outside trip/reap or his ability to use tremendous strength to pick up and slam them from the double-leg position. Unfortunately, Volkanovski lacks top control, often allowing opponents to get back to their feet. However, if they are tired or less capable of standing, they can find themselves in serious trouble. Volkanovski has terrific ground-and-pound—a steady diet of hard, accurate and straight punches to the face and thudding hooks to the body, with the occasional elbow. No one has managed to exploit Volkanovski’s own grappling. His takedown defense is excellent and combines textbook technique, fast instincts and immense strength. The one fighter who managed to take him down multiple times, Mendes, could do little else. Volkanovski excels at regaining his feet, whether through hip escapes or easily butt scooting to the cage to wall walk.

INTANGIBLES

• Athleticism/General Physical Strength: Tremendously powerful for his weight class, with fluid, agile and explosive movements.
• Cardio: Fights at a high-energy pace and can maintain it non-stop for five rounds. Simply incredible in this area.
• Chin: While durable, he can be hurt by strong connections, as was the case against Mendes and in the second Max Holloway fight.
• Recuperative Powers: Recovers amazingly fast, even when knocked down and badly hurt.
• Intelligence: Executes brilliant plans against top-flight opponents to perfection and consistently makes smart choices during fights. His fighting style relies a lot on smarts.