Alexander Volkanovski picks ‘awkward’ Stephen Thompson to upset Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296

Alexander Volkanovski sees Stephen Thompson being too tough of a puzzle for Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Former title challenger Thompson (17-6-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) meets Rakhmonov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a welterweight bout on Saturday’s UFC 296 main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.

Although the undefeated Rakhmonov is a proven furious finisher, featherweight champion Volkanovski thinks Thompson’s movement will prove too tricky for him.

“Shavkat Rakhmonov is undefeated, great fighter – both great fighters,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “But stylistically, I’m always going to find – especially in situations like this against a young, hungry guy like Shavkat – (Thompson’s) always going to be a half-decent bet.

“Stephen Thompson, yeah he is a little bit older. But you’ve got to remember that movement. You’ve got to remember that distance management. You’ve got to remember the defense that he has. He is pretty incredible there. We know Shavkat likes to walk forward. He likes to press forward. He puts himself in danger.”

According to BetMGM, Thompson is a whopping +450 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on “Wonderboy” would net a $450 profit. Rakhmonov is a -650 favorite, meaning a $650 bet would be needed on “Nomad” to return $100 profit.

Volkanovski thinks there’s definitely money to be made on “Wonderboy.”

“When we’re talking underdog, Stephen Thompson, I’m always happy to bet on Stephen Thompson because I know he can be an awkward matchup for anybody – that footwork, that stance, that range,” Volkanovski said. “He throws things from different angles. He’s hard to hit.

“Even to take him down, it’s not easy to just grab a hold of him. I’m leaning toward Stephen Thompson on this one. People are going to think I’m mad. I just think, stylistically, this could be a very awkward matchup for Shavkat.”

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