Media Volk, "I want you all to remember this doubt...."

[Based and White Pilled]

I'll be rooting for him.

 

[AL-Tappo McSnappo]

When Islam smokes Volk, Bareman will officially be Kiwi Edmund.

He has a two champs, and a few number one contender fighters too, so its unfair to call him an Edmund.

 

[textwarrior]

New volk video. He kind of just goes on and on about how excited he is, but here's some brief cliffs:

• Already has a huge house filled with wrestlers and training partners from around the world. His diet has already been on point. He's been ready for a while and still has 13 weeks to get ready.
• Islam is a challenge, and that's why he's taking this fight. He likes challenges and this one will make him grow as a martial artist.
• He loves that there's tons of people doubting him right now -- it motivates him. He wants everyone to remember just how much he is doubted right now. He wants to prove that nothing is impossible.
• This has been the most he's spent on a camp before.
• He's very confident that he's going to be better than ever at LW (bigger, stronger, faster etc etc)

Volk can make it.a fight but not really sure what to expect from Volk to win.

 

[Question]

I'm a huge Volk fan and really want him to get this one, but I do think this is gonna be a very tough task for him here.
Even tho I predict Islam winning, I give him massive props for wanting the challenge and hopes he proves me wrong.

WAR VOLK.

 

[fortheo]

Going to get smashed by Islam. Islam going to make it look easy too. He just way to big and a dangerous grappler. Volk wont get up from underneath without getting subbed.

Volk loves it, and you're the guys he's talking about. Keep on bringing it!

 

[HNIC215]

I respect the hell out of Volk for taking this fight...

I admire his fighting style and his fights with Holloway are classics...

That being said, Islam is going to smash you brother... train hard with all the wrestlers you want for 13 weeks.

Doesn't replace a lifetime of grind that Islam has put in... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[drbolony]

I'm not excited for match tbh. Volk has no ko power to threaten Islam. He also doesn't have the grappling to compete with him either.

I pick Islam to beat up Charles easy too . Even though I wanted Charles to win because he's more exciting.

So did I. Oliveira was a perfect match up for Islam. People focused on the finishes too much and forgot how atrocious Oliveira's defense and defensive footwork are. He's an all offense fighter.

Volk isn't, I have faith in him. He's strong, he has great reactions, footwork, knows how to work his way into range. He just has A lot of attributes that I think make him a live dog in this and I'm rolling with him.

To be completely 100 though, there definitely is an element of faith in my pick.

Edit: Everyone has a plan until Volk puts his meaty Hobbit paws on ya's, LFG!

 

[DS66]

I really, really want Volk to win this... it's just difficult to see much of a path to victory for him. If Islam's gonna lose to someone, it'll be someone with big power who KO's him on the way in. Volk isn't really a power threat at 145 and will likely be even less so at 155... there won't be much of a threat or anything to deter Islam from relentlessly going after the takedowns. And you're just not gonna consistently stop his takedowns, no matter who you are.

Having said that... I don't expect Islam to smash him like a lot of people do. Volk is so skilled and has such phenomenal footwork and instincts and a true fighter's heart. He'll make the fight competitive. Islam by 49-46 decision is my prediction.

 

[fortheo]

I'm not excited for match tbh. Volk has no ko power to threaten Islam. He also doesn't have the grappling to compete with him either.

I pick Islam to beat up Charles easy too . Even though I wanted Charles to win because he's more exciting.

Volk's non threatening power is coming for Islams chin!

 

[Wonderfight]

He is already on path to beign a GOAT, no matter what you say. He will surely finish as fw GOAT, but if he wins this… Absolute insanity. Even if he matches well skill for skill, he is obviously much smaller guy than Islam. I don’t see a way for him to win, but if he does it. He is easily entering top 10 all time for me. That is how much I think he will lose, even if I cheer for him.

 

[HuskySamoan]

That's a good first thought. My first thought from watching this was that I wouldn't want to be in the big house he rented for all those foreign wrestlers he brought in. What a sausage fest that must be. I hope that house has good showers, or a dagestani bathtub.

He needs to be killing himself for the next 8 or so weeks when it comes to wrestling, grappling and strength training. He has to live that, put every ounce of effort into bridging that gap as much as he possibly can with the time he has. He needs to really develop grappling cardio, Volks a cardio machine but being worn on by a LW monster with God tier grappling like Islam for rounds who's going to be about 180lbs on fight night is a different story, so he's gotta spend rounds getting smashed on, constantly on the bottom, getting back up, scrambling, being taken down again and fighting to get back up etc vs bigger stronger wrestlers and still have the confidence after 2-3 rounds of that he has the cardio to push a pace and go and try to find the knockout still.

If Volk is doing things right, over the course of 3 months with 4000+ high protein calories a day, strength training and constant wrestling and intensive grappling he might not be able to go back down to 145lbs after this. I'm skeptical though, fighters rarely pull a Rumble and truly develop into a weight class or more larger in functional mass. They typically just bulk and cut less, which isn't gonna do it for a guy like Islam, Volk needs to be stronger.

Sausage fest it up, dude needs to go through many cycles of death and rebirth on those mats for the next couple of months vs guys who are 5'10-6ft and 180-200lbs with great upper body attacks, trips and single legs. I'm not a fan of this fight because of what it does to both divisions but I'd like to see what Volk can make happen, this is to me one of the biggest challenges we've seen a fighter ever take, ya know? Izzy vs Jan was fugazi, Jan was one of the weakest LHW champs ever, GSP vs Bisping is the same story and GSP didn't stick around for Whittaker or Romero for a damn good reason.

I just expect to be disappointed but it'd be cool to be surprised, so cool actually. I keep saying it but if Volk hit as hard as a guy like Topuria I'd be way more interested in him actually making something happen here.

 

[theTKDguy]

His shot is a first round ko. Possible but not that likely. He's got sharp hands but not crazy power. Precision beats pwoer tho, and his boxing is improving at a fast rate

 

[Dirty Frank]

New volk video. He kind of just goes on and on about how excited he is, but here's some brief cliffs:

• Already has a huge house filled with wrestlers and training partners from around the world. His diet has already been on point. He's been ready for a while and still has 13 weeks to get ready.
• Islam is a challenge, and that's why he's taking this fight. He likes challenges and this one will make him grow as a martial artist.
• He loves that there's tons of people doubting him right now -- it motivates him. He wants everyone to remember just how much he is doubted right now. He wants to prove that nothing is impossible. "once I prove you all wrong, I want you to use that as inspiration."
• This has been the most he's spent on a camp before.
• He's very confident that he's going to be better than ever at LW (bigger, stronger, faster etc etc)

Gotta love Alex, man.

 

[kenetics]

Volk's non threatening power is coming for Islams chin!

Is zombie his last ko in how long? That was also one of the easiest defenses any champion got lol

 

[fortheo]

He needs to be killing himself for the next 8 or so weeks when it comes to wrestling, grappling and strength training. He has to live that, put every ounce of effort into bridging that gap as much as he possibly can with the time he has. He needs to really develop grappling cardio, Volks a cardio machine but being worn on by a LW monster with God tier grappling like Islam for rounds who's going to be about 180lbs on fight night is a different story, so he's gotta spend rounds getting smashed on, constantly on the bottom, getting back up, scrambling, being taken down again and fighting to get back up etc vs bigger stronger wrestlers and still have the confidence after 2-3 rounds of that he has the cardio to push a pace and go and try to find the knockout still.

If Volk is doing things right, over the course of 3 months with 4000+ high protein calories a day, strength training and constant wrestling and intensive grappling he might not be able to go back down to 145lbs after this. I'm skeptical though, fighters rarely pull a Rumble and truly develop into a weight class or more larger in functional mass. They typically just bulk and cut less, which isn't gonna do it for a guy like Islam, Volk needs to be stronger.

Sausage fest it up, dude needs to go through many cycles of death and rebirth on those mats for the next couple of months vs guys who are 5'10-6ft and 180-200lbs with great upper body attacks, trips and single legs. I'm not a fan of this fight because of what it does to both divisions but I'd like to see what Volk can make happen, this is to me one of the biggest challenges we've seen a fighter ever take, ya know? Izzy vs Jan was fugazi, Jan was one of the weakest LHW champs ever, GSP vs Bisping is the same story and GSP didn't stick around for Whittaker or Romero for a damn good reason.

I just expect to be disappointed but it'd be cool to be surprised, so cool actually. I keep saying it but if Volk hit as hard as a guy like Topuria I'd be way more interested in him actually making something happen here.

He's already been doing that since mid september. He made videos back then saying he was already preparing for islam. I don't know if you saw in another thread, but volk isn't going to extremes with his bulk. He's aiming for 172-175lbs. This is what I've suspected since he once said he didn't like how he felt around 180lbs or above, so it was nice to have him clarify how much he really wants to weigh for this lightweight fight. I think the low to mid 170's is ideal for him -- it's not too small for a lightweight, and not big. He'll get a strength boost and maintain most of his speed, idealy.

Anyways, He'll be as ready as he possibly can be. The fight is booked, so there's no going back now. May as well get pumped for it!

 

[Dirty Frank]

Thank you for the cliffs @fortheo

 

[kenetics]

So did I. Oliveira was a perfect match up for Islam. People focused on the finished too much and forgot how atrocious Oliveira's defense and defensive footwork are. He's an all offense fighter.

Volk isn't, I have faith in him. He's strong, he has great reactions, footwork, knows how to work his way into range. He just has A lot of attributes that I think make him a live dog in this and in rolling with him.

To be completely 100 though, there definitely is an element of faith in my pick.

Edit: Everyone has a plan until Volk puts his meaty Hobbit paws on ya's, LFG!

All his movement means nothing once he's gets grabbed by a superior grappler. Islam is not slow either .

 

[Tatra]

Islam is a different animal. There's almost no chance Volk can stop one of those takedowns and get back up from it.

 

[kenetics]

Volk loves it, and you're the guys he's talking about. Keep on bringing it!

I respect his heart for sure, I'm just stating what I believe will happen when Islam grabs him. Bigger grapplers know how much easier a smaller person is to grapple.

 

[fortheo]

Is zombie his last ko in how long? That was also one of the easiest defenses any champion got lol

Well, four of his last fights were against Max, and ortega. Who have you seen knocking those guys out? Don't doubt Volk's grape hands! they're surely more powerful than Ramos's jab.