I get that people hated Jailton Almeida, but he beat Volkov in his last fight. Whether you agree or disagree with that statement i think we can at least be on the same page when i say Volkov has no takedown defense. And thats important here because the last time Waldo fought a 7ft tall man he looked like a Nurmagomedov. Alexander is a very good striker, but he doesn't have big power which means Waldo can close the distance without much fear. Waldo will be faster and more powerful in this matchup. He will also have the ability to get this fight to the ground if he needs to. My only actual concern in this matchup is if Volkov decides to offensively wrestle. Waldo is an athlete who learned takedowns, but as I have said many times before, it is easier to execute than defend. I'm still going with the underdog here and think he athleticism will be the difference maker.

Alexander Volkov

Alexander Volkov is a top 10 heavyweight and has been for 7 years. He is a very good striker and a high IQ fighter who is fast and has volume. He picks his shots well and will adapt in a fight. He is not a big power guy but his volume and timing suit him well enough to get the occasional finish. He is a very durable guy who has fought the literal best in the division since his UFC debut in 2016. He is coming off the decision “win” over Jailton Almeida where he was taken down 7 times and gave up 11 minutes of control in a 15 minute fight

Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Waldo Cortes-Acosta is a fun athletic striker who is tough as nails with real power. He lands an impressive almost 6 significant strikes per minute and has showed us on numerous occasions how physically tough he is. We have seen him out strike and out grapple his opponents. He is not a fighter by trade but because of his athleticism, he adopted quickly. He is coming off the KO win over Derrick Lewis where he landed 44 significant strikes to Derrick's 8.