Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight bruisers Timothy Johnson and Alexander Volkov will throw down this Saturday (Nov. 19, 2016) at UFC Fight Night 99 inside The SSE Arena in Belfast, North Ireland.
Just three fights into his UFC career, Johnson has proved to be a solid addition to the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion's roster. A large wrestler with solid power in his hands, it really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that Johnson has done well thus far. Meanwhile, Volkov is already a former Bellator champion and true veteran at 28 years old. It’s been a longtime coming for "Drago," who hopes to impress in his UFC debut.
Let’s take a look at the keys to victory for both athletes:
Timothy Johnson
Record: 10-2
Key Wins: Shamil Abdurakhimov (UFC Fight Night 63), Marcin Tybura (UFC Fight Night 86), Travis Wiuff (Dakota FC 19)
Key Losses: Jared Rosholt (UFC Fight Night 73)
Keys to Victory: Johnson’s game isn’t the most complex: wrestler with decent boxing is hardly new for Heavyweight. That said, Johnson’s toughness and surprisingly solid conditioning help him standout, and he’s still a relatively young Heavyweight at 31 years old.
Volkov is a long and rangy striker, so there’s little doubt that Johnson intends to close the distance. In fact, his style seems custom built to give the Russian problems, as Volkov has struggled with fighters overpowering him in the clinch and on the mat in the past.
That’s Johnson’s game.
Since his opponent likes to kick, Johnson should take advantage. A caught kick early will likely result in a quick takedown, which is precisely what Johnson wants. If he doesn’t have to waste a ton of energy grinding for a shot, he’ll be far more effective once he actually lands in top position. In short, the classic game plan of mixing overhands and takedowns should play out well for Division II All-American wrestler.
VS.
Alexander Volkov
Record: 27-6
Key Wins: Blagoy Ivanov (Bellator 120), Richard Hale (Bellator 84), Attila Vegh (M-1 Challenge 68)
Keys Losses: Vitaly Minakov (Bellator 108), Cheick Kongo (Bellator 139), Tony Johnson (Bellator 136)
Keys to Victory: Volkov has a lot of experience in Karate, and it shows in his fights. He’s a very long and tall fighter with extraordinary cardio for a Heavyweight. While Volkov has been vulnerable to being ground down in ugly fights, the jiu-jitsu purple belt is not necessarily an easy man to take down.
Takedown defense will be pivotal in this match up.
Volkov needs to stalk his opponent in this match up. Most of his problems come when he’s pushed into the fence, as his length becomes less effective and the takedown becomes far more available to his opponent. Additionally, Volkov needs to break down his opponent. His front kicks to the body are a great tool, but Volkov also needs to hide roundhouse kicks in combinations, as a few of them could really slow Johnson down. Alternatively, knees to the body should be thrown in a high volume if Johnson does secure the clinch.
Finally, it’s important that Volkov scrambles back up when taken down. Sometimes he’s too content to hunt for submissions from his back, and that rarely works well against a large wrestler like Johnson.
Bottom Line: It’s a match up of Heavyweight prospects, which is a rare site.
Based on his first three fights, Johnson is here to stay. While he hasn’t shown anything yet to indicate he’s a contender — and he’s young, so that could change — Johnson has the hard-nosed style to hang around. A win here will put him another step closer to the Top 15. Meanwhile, a loss does put a stop to his current momentum. He’s not in danger of receiving a pink slip, but it certainly doesn’t put in a great position for his next fight.
As for Volkov, this is a tough but not unreasonable opponent for his debut. At 28 years old and seven years into his professional career, "Drago" may not be in his prime just yet, but he’s close and needs to make a strong first impression. If Volkov wins, he’s immediately a relevant player in the division. Johnson is a solid test that only Jared Rosholt has passed, and Rosholt was very successful despite his release. On the other hand, a loss is a definite setback, as it starts Volkov’s UFC career on some uneven footing.
At UFC Fight Night 99, Timothy Johnson and Alexander Volkov will battle. Which Heavyweight will remain standing at the final bell?