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UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is scheduled to face interim UFC featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez in a title unification matchup that'll headline UFC 290 on July 8, 2023.
Featherweight kingpin Volkanovski's most recent fight saw him suffer his first UFC loss, albeit at lightweight. He's coming off a razor-close unanimous decision defeat against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 in February.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez's last fight saw him dominantly defeat Josh Emmett via second-round submission at UFC 284 to capture the interim featherweight belt.
Seeking an answer about who'd emerge victorious in the Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez UFC 290 showdown, Sportskeeda MMA asked Google AI to predict the winner. As suggested by the AI, Volkanovski is a well-rounded fighter, who possesses a solid wrestling skill set and good striking prowess. Additionally, it highlighted that 'Volk' has never been knocked out.
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Although the AI claimed that Volkanovski hasn't been knocked out, it should be noted that he did suffer a TKO (technical knockout) loss early in his MMA career. Regardless, the AI asserted that Volkanovski is incredibly durable.
Furthermore, the AI indicated that Yair Rodriguez is a dangerous fighter but has some flaws that 'Volk' could exploit. It added that Rodriguez is a great striker, but his wrestling skills aren't as good as Volkanovski's.
The AI further alluded to the pair of KO/TKO losses in Rodriguez's MMA career, suggesting that he's been knocked out before and could get knocked out by Volkanovski.
It insinuated that Volkanovski is likely to win the fight via decision by utilizing his wrestling to control the fight, besides also using his more accurate striking to land more strikes.
However, the AI warned that Rodriguez could upset 'Volk' by landing a big shot. It predicted that while the result would be determined based on which fighter performed better, Volkanovski is more likely to win.
Check out the Google AI breakdown for the UFC 290 matchup below:
The buildup to Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 sees 'Volk' get real about facing 'El Pantera'
In a recent video posted to his YouTube channel, Alexander Volkanovski pointed out that many believe his upcoming fight at featherweight would be easy for him, as he's fresh off an impressive performance against the reigning UFC lightweight champion. However, Volkanovski clarified that he isn't taking the "dangerous" Rodriguez lightly.
Putting forth his prediction for the much-awaited Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez UFC 290 matchup featuring himself, 'The Great' warned that he'd finish 'El Pantera.' Nevertheless, he emphasized that he must stay on his game against the Mexican MMA stalwart. He said:
"Am I confident? Do I think I'm the better fighter? Of course. Do I think I can take it wherever? Yes. But, I need to be on my toes. I need to be careful. He [Rodriguez] is very unpredictable."
Watch Volkanovski's assessment at 7:00 in the video below:
