Alexander Volkanovski gives his prediction on 2 UFC 304 title fights
By Amy Kaplan
![Alexander Volkanovski Alexander Volkanovski](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3309,h_1861,x_0,y_171/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/505/01j3eahq7tcgpgtqkwm7.jpg)
Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is widely considered one of the best 145-pounders of all time and when he talks, people listen. He's highly skilled and highly respected and his predictions are important to fans and bettors alike.
Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes
The co-main event of UFC 304 is an interim title fight between reigning heavyweight interim champion Tom Aspinall and the challenger Curtis Blaydes. It's not often an interim champion defends the interim champion but this is where we're at. Volkanovski broke down the fight and gave his opinion.
“Curtis Blaydes is a great wrestler, a very hard heavyweight to fight because he always has that legit wrestling game – he’s the type of fighter that could beat anyone," Volkanovski said during a breakdown on his YouTube channel. “He’s getting better at trying to camouflage his shots. People just seem to know what’s going to eventually come and they’re catching him coming in.”
If you thought that means Volkanovski is picking Blaydes, you're wrong. He's team Aspinall all the way. “Tom Aspinall, great fighter, great wrestler, great grappler, great striker – and he’s not just a great striker, he understands the game. He understands ranges, he understands timing, and for a big guy, the way he moves is so fast," he said.
Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad
The main event of the card is a welterweight title fight between Leon Edwards, the reigning champion and Belal Muhammad. This is a rematch of their first fight which ended in a no-contest due to an eye poke. Here's what Volkanovski had to say about the contest.
“It’s going to be a good fight and I’m going to go with Leon Edwards,” he said. “His striking is beautiful, very calculated, doesn’t take any unnecessary risk but so is Belal Muhammad – a lot of people give him a hard time, he’s very calculated and doesn’t take unnecessary risk [too].”
UFC 304 takes place on July 27, in Manchester, England.