Хүнд жингийн чансааны хоёрдугаарт эрэмбэлэгдсэн Александр Волков UFC 333 тэмцээний үндсэн тулаанд өсөх ирээдүйтэй тулаанч Ризван Куниевтэй тулалдана.
Абу Даби хотын Этихад аренад болох UFC 333 тэмцээний хүрээнд Аваргын бүсний төлөөх тулаанд Александр Волкановски, Мовсар Евлоев нар хүч үзэх юм. Энэхүү үдшийн гол тулаануудын нэг болох хүнд жингийн өрсөлдөөнд Александр Волков өөрийн байр сууриа батлах зорилготой байна. Сүүлийн долоон тулаанаасаа зургаад нь ялалт байгуулсан Волков нь техникийн хувьд өндөр түвшний цохилт болон зай барих чадвараараа давуу талтай юм.
Шинжээчид Волков нь хүнд жингийн ангиллын шилдэг тулаанчдын нэг болохыг онцолж байгаа бөгөөд түүнийг аваргын бүсний төлөө тулалдах ёстой байсан хэмээн үзэж байна. Өрсөлдөгч Ризван Куниевийн хувьд хүчтэй бокс болон клинч дэх барилдаанаараа дамжуулан тулааныг өөрт ашигтайгаар эргүүлэхийг эрмэлзэх болно. Гэсэн хэдий ч Волков нь хамгаалалтын барилдаанаа мэдэгдэхүйц сайжруулсан тул Куниевт газрын тулаан тулгахад хүндрэлтэй байх төлөвтэй байна.
Энэхүү тулааны өмнө Александр Волков ялалт байгуулах магадлал өндөр байгаа бөгөөд түүний туршлага болон бие бялдрын давуу тал нь шийдвэрлэх хүчин зүйл болох юм. Мэргэжилтнүүд Волковт бооцоо тавих нь хамгийн найдвартай хувилбар хэмээн дүгнэж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – MAY 09: Alexander Volkov of Russia walks towards his locker room after his victory over Waldo Cortes Acosta of the Dominican Republic ,not pictured, via unanimous decision during UFC 328 at the Prudential Center on May 09, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
UFC 333 is less than 24 hours away …
It all goes down this weekend (Sat., Oct. 24, 2026), inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In the main event, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defends his title against Movsar Evloev … who FINALLY gets his shot at gold.
We have a weekly series at MMAmania.com called “Weekend Lock,” where we share one bet that we predict will slap in the desert when the chaotic dust settles. We also want to hear what our readers think (that’s you!), so please tell us your most confident UFC 333 betting lock in the comments section below (see full UFC 333 odds here).
Last week’s recap: After a week off (I was on vacation), I return to get back in the win column after my last weekend lock did not hit whatsoever, as Andre Fili starched Kai Kamaka with a head kick from hell.
Let’s keep rolling below:
No. 2-ranked Heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov looks to continue his march toward a long-overdue title shot when he collides with rising contender Rizvan Kuniev on UFC 333’s main card.
This week, I’m locking in Volkov‘s ML (-118).
Here’s why:
I genuinely don’t understand why Volkov is being disrespected by the oddsmakers.
Over the last five years, Volkov has lost to just two men: former Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall and current champion Ciryl Gane (twice). And let’s be real, he was brutally robbed in that second Gane fight, which just about everyone thought he won.
Other than those two elite Heavyweights, Volkov has been damn near perfect.
He’s won six of his last seven fights, picking up victories over quality opponents such as Sergei Pavlovich, Jailton Almeida, Tai Tuivasa and Waldo Cortes-Acosta. More importantly, the 37-year-old has improved tremendously over the years, evolving from a dangerous kickboxer into one of the most complete fighters in the division.
Frankly, Volkov shouldn’t even be fighting Kuniev right now. He should be fighting for the UFC Heavyweight title. He’s been one of the most consistent fighters in the division for years, and if the judges hadn’t completely screwed him against Gane, he’d have an even stronger case for a long-overdue title shot. Instead, he’s being forced to defend his spot against another hungry contender. And somehow, he’s barely the betting favorite? Give me a break.
Stylistically, I think this is a fantastic matchup for him.
Volkov stands a towering 6-foot-7 with an 80-inch reach, giving him a three-inch height and four-inch reach advantage over Kuniev. He’s excellent at using those physical advantages, keeping opponents at the end of his jab, punishing them with kicks, and controlling the distance.
Simply put, unless your name is Ciryl Gane, you’re probably not beating Volkov in a technical kickboxing match.
Now, Kuniev is no slouch.
The 34-year-old Dagestani has looked somewhat impressive since joining the UFC, picking up wins over Almeida and Tyrell Fortune after a narrow split decision loss to Curtis Blaydes. He’s physically strong, possesses solid boxing, and can make things ugly in the clinch.
But that’s where I think the problem lies.
Kuniev’s clearest path to victory is getting Volkov to the ground and keeping him there. However, he shot a takedown inside the Octagon, preferring to strike and work from the clinch.
And trying to outstrike Volkov for 15 minutes is a dangerous game.
Volkov has also improved his defensive wrestling significantly, which should make it even more difficult for Kuniev to turn this into a grinding grappling match.
What could go wrong?
Kuniev is good, and there’s a reason he’s already knocking on the door of the Heavyweight Top 5. He’s durable, strong and has enough power to make Volkov uncomfortable. If he can consistently close the distance, push Volkov against the fence and turn this into an ugly clinch battle, he could absolutely steal rounds.
Volkov is also getting older, and Father Time eventually catches everyone.
Still, I trust Volkov’s experience, technical striking and ability to control distance far more than Kuniev’s relatively unproven offensive wrestling.
At nearly even money, I’m happily backing the fighter who has spent years beating some of the best Heavyweights in the world.
Give me Alexander Volkov’s moneyline (-118) as this week’s “Weekend Lock.”
Alexander Volkov via TKO/KO/DQ: +400
Alexander Volkov via submission: +2000
Alexander Volkov via decision: +175
Rizvan Kuniev via TKO/KO/DQ: +600
Rizvan Kuniev via submission: +1700
Rizvan Kuniev via decision: +200
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 333: “Volkanovski vs. Evloev” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
