the guy basically has everything, reach, chin, speed, cardio, boxing, defense, volume, footwork, great wrestling, great ground and pound, fight IQ, improving, and the passion to wanna improve and feel comfortable in all this, he doesn't look nervous before fights at all.
@@ant2011 in the yair fight volk's low kicks weren't connecting half of the time.. it looked very funny him trying to kick blank void.... wouldn't have mattered any way he was so much better in every other department i knew he had it
@@stephenr80 I don't think its going to be a battle. Illia is pretty much straight up worse than Volk in every conceivable category, and he didn't look amazing versus Bryce or Emmett who both kind of suck ass. Volk basically said he doesn't want to talk about how bad Illia actually is, technically, because he wants the fight to sell.
I always thought Ortega could have submitted him if he had a longer neck, dude has no neck, when someone has his back he starts laughing like "you can't choke out a man with no neck bro"
Or just a short torso in general, Jose Aldo was without debate the best striker on earth for years because his legs were so long in comparison to his height, and the shortness also made it easier to stuff takedowns, which is why Jose was known as the anti-wrestler
Nah lol it’s just he’s so good we’re only focusing on his advantages that he made it to his advantage also he himself said he doesn’t have 71 inch reach
You aren't going to be champion of the world without physical advantages. So many people work hard and just have lesser talent. Not taking away anything from Volk, but you need hard work and physical advantages to be a (dominant) champion, for the most part. Look at Jon Jones, Volk, GSP (never had a reach disadvantage), and Izzy
of course he doesn't. you're one of the few people who realize this. he probably does have slightly longer reach than his height, but it's definitely not 71.5 inches...
Nah it still makes him make harder to kick bcuz Islam is not used to fighting shorter fighters and he has to measure the distance but he did catch Volk off guard and get the KO/TKO
Islam vs volk was always such a crossroad match up for me. I train at AKA and see Islam there and even roll with him along with other pro fighters there sometimes. But I have a build similar to volk where I was actually like 205 for football but slimmed down do training in mma. I also have as much reach as my friends who are like 6’4. I want Islam to win because he my teammate but volk gives hope to all the ppl out there who wasn’t blessed with height like me.
Height doesn’t matter much if you’ve got reach, height in itself isn’t the real positive gain, it’s the reach that usually follows, and then again mass - but they’ll all weigh the same.
You are being silly if you really think that. Height adds each. Generally, your kicks are longer the taller you are. For Volk, his reach helps him with body shot, but he still has to punch up, which shortens reach. A tall guy meanwhile can go low, punch and have more effective reach.
Volk is literally built different. I'm only 5ft4 (163cm) but have monkey reach at 5ft7.5 (171cm). I can out jab most people in my weight class due to reach
i think floyd mayweather is also someone that is short (especially in the higher weight classes) but has very long arms for his height. Probably helped him a lot as well and it also made it so he was able to almost completely block his body because of his long arms.
I don't think being short is an advantage but long arms (high "ape index") seems to show up a lot among top fighters. GSP and Jon Jones both have long arms, even for their height. I would also note that all three (Mayweather, GSP, and Jon Jones) all switch stances. Then again, Khabib doesn't have long arms and was arguably the most dominant fighter of all time, so it seems like all body types have a chance.
I should do a video on why you havent made an Errol Spencd vs Terrance Crawford Video. Thats really the biggest fight of this year so far hands down 🤷🏾
I think Volk is truly one of a kind. His build + Reach helps. But his Mentality towards the game is incredible. Though typically Jones,Olivera,Sterling,Izzy(Silva Prior), Edwards; long lean cardiocentric bodies give a world of problems to their competition. Something is to be said about the tanks tho. Khabib,DuPlesis,Figgy, Usman(to an extent). Volk shows the technical-tank prowess of a DC or Triple C but the arms of the long slender type.
A long reach- short stature combination is even more rare, than either a lanky or stocky a build, and only advantageous, because a fighter can take advantage of the weight class system.
I was lucky enough to work with his strength & conditioning coach and train at his gym throughout the fight camp against Yair. Volkanovski is on a different level, I call his physique the 'hybrid fighter' as he literally has every desirable quality for combat sports.
I used to think so too but I think the short height is worst for knees and high kicks. Both harder to throw and easier for your opponent to do. I know the short height might be better for wrestling. So I can't really decide what is worth more. I think kicks and knees might be more important because you can still technically be tall and still wrestle.
Even a shorter reach can be worked with. Mike Tyson only had a 70 to 71 inch reach and he was fighting guys that had huge reach advantages. Fight iq is the most slept on talent. Physical size does matter but some one with good fight iq can give a bigger man a good run for his money. Weight matters a whole lot though. Most of these short guys you see getting thrown around weigh a buck fifty or less thats so freaking light. Most guys bench 150 like its nothin. A dude 170 and over is going to rag doll you unless you get a submission plus less weight does mean less knockout power because you dont have a heavy base to throw from. Volk walks around at 170 on the streets and considering he played rugby at 210 he'd still be athletic af.
Thank you lol Volk's focus, drive, iq and overall knowledge of the fight game is what seperates him. Hes not the only fighter every with this build. Hes just that damn good! We're not gnna give glory to his parents DNA or god making him short, it belittles the work Volk put in. Its his mentality. Hes worked with what he got and perfects his craft it wouldnt matter what type of build he has with his brain
Something I realized being lil shorter and having to fight taller opponents, is that when they hit me they hit my forehead or nose most of the time but when I hit them its almost always on the chin
Volk said he’s 5’5. So, a 5’5 145 lb fighter, having longer reach than Max, who is taller, shows that having longer reach & legs gives you an advantage in your division. Aljo 135 and Brandon Moreno 125, both guys are taller than volk and there’s no doubt that they weigh 10+ lbs heavier on the octagon so there’s an argument to be made about weight bullies. Should we restructure the MMA weight classes? Because 10 lbs increments may not solve the problem. What if we experiment with 20 lbs increments? For example: 120 LW, 140 LMW, 160 MW, 180 SMW, 200 LHW, 220 HW
He basically did the same thing as Mike Tyson, made his short stature into an advantage rather than a disadvantage. There are pros and cons to every body type, he just found a way to make his work. Adding to this of course all the muscle memory from his days of being huge.
Volk is a weight bully. He practically admitted it in the Thicc Boy interview that he weighs far more than any FW during fight night and that he weighed the same as Dan Hooker which was fighting in LW.
Yo Tj can you make a who’s the 140 pounder in boxing it’s one of the most stacked divisions I remember you made a who’s the best light video but no one there fight each other but everyone at 140 fights each other pls make one
@@AwakenZenthe taller and longer fighter can keep any short person at a distance and pick them apart if the short person doesn't know how to close the distance. Guys with a large height disadvantage are the ones who have to be more aggressive, which can lead to getting countered into oblivion. But you wont see that with Volk cause hes just that good
While I dont disagree with this message, Alexander is dominant because no one out works the champ and he has an insanely high fight iq and just iq in general and he is not scared. He believes hes the best and its cause he knows its fact. Love this guy, such an awesome champ. One of the best of all time
You didn't mention his head size. Much like his reach Volk also has a huge head compared to his frame. In theory a larger head makes you resistant to head trauma.
@@NamNguyen-ev6sw on Craig Jones’ podcast when referencing that 71 reach being a lie he said it In context of needing that surgery. He probably doesn’t have a 71 inch reach overall but that’s what I’m basing my comment off
He needs to fight topuria and then just head to lightweight where more people can match his strength. I do think Topuria might be the only one in the division that can match his strength/athleticism
@@mugiwara9507 yeah most fighters lie at least an inch about their height. But Volk always says he 5’6 on a good day, this video is talking about his height that’s why I’m bringing it up, not a big deal.
Armchair nerd analysis. Everything has it's strengths and weaknesses. Volk is a highly skilled, highly trained athlete with a mind for the sport. Your body type doesn't mean shit if you can't put it together.
Volk himself has said that those reach stats are incorrect and that his arms are shorter. He's manipulating the range with his footwork and feints more than anything else. Also, he relies on kicks A LOT in order to extend his reach.
The reason why shorter fighters are not "the best" is just because they have reach disadvantage...If you are shorter AND still have reach ADVANTAGE well it's a.....listen carefully....advantage.
The neck thing is just if it’s a built neck long necks are better for flexibility but it shouldn’t be skinny it should be strong also long neck looks way better short is ugly no offense 💀
This "smaller target" BS is comical. Its copium been taken as fact. It is his timing, and footwork, feints,headmovement, and intelligence that make him elite.
