"Either one of them is going to give him a really, really tough fight" - Josh Thomson discusses Alexander Volkanovski's potential clash with Islam Makhachev or Charles Oliveira

Josh Thomson recently speculated as to how UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski would fare against top lightweights Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira.

In an edition of the Weighing In podcast, Thomson suggested that the Australian titleholder would be the underdog against both Makhachev and Oliveira at lightweight.

One of Volkanovski’s coaches, Eugene Bareman, recently opined that his pupil would have a tougher time against Oliveira than Makhachev. Bareman noted that this is because 'do Bronx' is a more well-rounded fighter than Makhachev.

Josh Thomson, a former UFC lightweight, disagreed with Bareman's comments and insinuated that Oliveira isn’t necessarily better than Makhachev. He indicated that both grappling savants have vastly improved their striking in recent years and Makhachev is much stronger than Oliveira on the ground.

“If you’re Volkanovski’s coach, he’s probably going, ‘Man, Oliveira’s probably a tough fight. The speed of latching onto the neck and those type of things.’ Maybe he thinks that Volkanovski can get out from underneath Islam. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but either one of them is going to give him a really, really tough fight.”

Thomson added:

“Now Volkanovski, sure, he can land some shots – get in, get out. He’s going to be hard to catch in the beginning because of the speed. But both guys, I think, both guys are going to beat him.”

Subsequently, Thomson asserted that Volkanovski is capable of beating both top-ranked lightweights. He recalled that 'The Great' used to be a rugby player and is a bona fide athlete. Thomson opined that the 145-pound kingpin maintains the lifestyle of an athlete, adding that neither Makhachev nor Oliveira will be able to beat him easily.

Watch the latest edition of the Weighing In podcast below (Volkanovski against top lightweights - 1:12:55):

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Eugene Bareman on Alexander Volkanovski’s upcoming trilogy fight with Max Holloway

Alexander Volkanovski has emerged as a dominant figure atop the UFC featherweight division since winning the title in 2019. Following back-to-back wins over Max Holloway and title defenses against top contenders Brian Ortega and Chan Sung Jung, Volkanovski has repeatedly teased a potential move up to lightweight.

Before he can consider a move up to 155 pounds, Volkanovski will have to ensure he comes out on top in his upcoming trilogy bout with Holloway. ‘The Great’ beat his Hawaiian foe via unanimous decision and split decision in their first two fights in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Their trilogy bout will transpire at UFC 276 on July 2nd.

Speaking to Submission Radio, Alexander Volkanovski’s coach Eugene Bareman lauded Holloway for making adjustments to trouble ‘The Great’ in their rematch. Predicting a more dominant win for Volkanovski in the trilogy matchup, Bareman said:

"This fight is gonna be nothing like the second fight. Alex kind of played different chess moves that he used in the first fight. Max came back with a really good strategy and some really good tactics."

Watch Eugene Bareman's full interview on Submission Radio below: