Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘Whittaker vs. Brunson’

Featherweights

Yusuke Kasuya (9-2) vs. Alex Volkanovski (13-1)

THE MATCHUP: Interesting pairing here between two fighters keen to find their way in the UFC featherweight division. Kasuya fell short in a competitive effort against Nick Hein -- one in which Hein landed a debilitating and apparently intentional low blow in the first round. Kasuya is rightly known as a submission specialist and he is quite crafty on the ground, but he is no pushover on the feet. Kasuya tends to switch stances frequently and employs a varied striking arsenal. Defensively, he leaves something to be desired, but he is a capable counterpuncher, which makes it harder to confidently exploit his lack of head movement.

Australian Fighting Championship titleholder Volkanovski makes his UFC debut on the back of a 10-fight winning streak over mixed competition. In many ways, Volkanovski is similar to Kasuya. Like his opponent, he lacks in the striking defense department but makes up for it with tenacity and power. Volkanovski’s record certainly says “knockout artist,” but takedowns are his bread and butter. He tends to come forward behind his hands and drive his opponent to the floor at the first opportunity.

The ground battle will be an interesting one in this matchup. Kasuya is certainly the more aggressive submission artist, with eight wins via that method; Volkanovski is more likely to secure a position and pummel his opponent with both hands. Both men are solid takedown artists, but Volkanovski is more consistent with his shots, though that may have something to do with most of his bouts taking place in Australia against Australians. It is not a region of the world known for producing excellent wrestlers.

THE PICK: Kasuya has made a career out of getting hurt by aggressive bruisers and then coming back to win by submission. He thrives on those momentum swings, but it is a dangerous way to approach the fight game. Sometimes, when you let the other guy hurt you, he finishes the job; and even if Kasuya can survive every onslaught his opponents throw at him, he typically needs a finish to come back from the deficit that creates on the scorecards. Volkanovski is heavy-handed and aggressive but not so wild that he will quickly tire and give Kasuya an easy opportunity to come back. He also has the wrestling to dictate the location of the fight, like Hein before him. The pick is Volkanovski by unanimous decision.

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