#2. Alexander Volkanovski's cardio
No fighter in the lightweight division pushes an offensive pace quite like Charles Oliveira. His opponents wilt under relentless pressure, and his bodywork in the clinch pays dividends as the fight goes on. Dustin Poirier—a fighter known for possessing above-average cardio—was visibly tired by the third round of his bout with Oliveira. Furthermore, the Brazilian went three rounds against Tony Ferguson, perhaps the lightweight division's most fearsome cardio machine.
However, there are asterisks next to those wins in terms of Oliveira's opponents surrendering to his unrelenting pace. Ferguson fought Oliveira with an uncharacteristically timid approach, refusing to push the pace he normally does due, in part, to the brutal beating he suffered against Justin Gaethje which left him gun-shy.
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Poirier, by contrast, had his stamina depleted due to the Brazilian targeting his midsection with knees in the clinch, an approach that will backfire against Volkanovski, whose clinch work is superior and is detailed in this article's final entry.
Compared to Oliveira's past foes, Alexander Volkanovski is a different beast altogether, having gone five rounds against Max Holloway on three different occassions without gassing out as Poirier had against the Hawaiian. 'The Great' never slows down, even improving as the fight progresses, doing so against Max Holloway, of all people.
He is notoriously difficult to finish, having never been submitted, while suffering one knockout loss in his career to a welterweight despite currently reigning as the UFC featherweight champion. The speed advantage he'll possess in the lightweight division will not only render him even more difficult for Oliveira to hit, but will aid him in scrambles should he need to avoid grappling situations.
A fight that does not end with a finish only favors the Australian given his unyielding gas tank.
#1. Volkanovski's clinch game
Charles Oliveira's clinch-work is one of his primary weapons. He often secures a collar-tie right after throwing a punch while his opponents are preoccupied with defending his strikes as he closes the distance against them. However, most of the Brazilian's clinch-work is designed for offensive purposes. While he does use underhooks and overhooks to defend against takedowns, he doesn't possess a deep pool of defensive tools to use against well-equipped clinch specialists.
Oliveira is concerned only with landing knees and elbows. He folds his longer arms to land elbows with more leverage than a fighter with a shorter reach would, while his knees benefit from his height and upright stance.
Unfortunately, this approach leaves him susceptible to Volkanovski's own clinch-work. The Australian comes from a Greco-Roman wrestling background. Thus, 'The Great' has spent years grappling and wrestling solely in the clinch, which has paid dividends.
Inside the octagon, Alexander Volkanovski looks to smother longer foes in the clinch, depriving them of the space they need to throw strikes with their longer arms while creating openings for his dirty boxing. While Oliveira correctly uses his long arms in the clinch, folding them into hard elbows, Volkanovski also uses his head.
'The Great' shoves the top of his head against his opponent's chin, pinning them against the fence, imobilizing them and breaking their posture to mitigate the threat of elbows. Lastly, Oliveira's tendency to drop his hands right after exiting the clinch exposes him to the hooks Volkanovski enjoys throwing right after clinch-breaks.