Alexander Volkov was able to keep his fight with Marcin Tybura on the feet tonight at UFC 267 and got the better of the striking action to earn a unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
Tybura with a quick flurry to start. Now Volkov with straight punches. He lands a few again. Big left from Tybura, but Volkov fires back.
Calf kick from Tybura. Leg kick from Volkov now. Tybura wading into range throwing punches. He lands a reaching punch and Volkov moves away.
Another one-two from Tybura. Double jab and a right hand behind it from Volkov. Front kick to the body from Volkov.
Tybura tries for a takedown but it doesn’t pay off he throws punches before backing out.
Hooks from Tybura. Another takedown attempt from Tybura behind punches, but Volkov stays upright for now against the cage, then breaks away, landing an elbow on the way.
Solid right hand for Volkov. Another lands behind the jab. Now the jab connects again as Tybura was coming forward.
left hand from Volkov as Tybura steps in and tries for a takedown. Volkov stops him in his tracks and dumps him down to the mat.
Volkov in half-guard here with his elbow grinding into his opponent face. Tybura clinches up trying to stop him from posturing up. Volkov puts his forearm under the chin and Tybura doesn’t like it.
Now Volkov has some space and lands few elbows and remains on top as the round comes to a close.
Round Two:
Nice one-two for Volkov. He throws another hard right hand and a front kick to the body. Cuffing left hook from Volkov and a reaching punch from Tybura. Again Tybura with a winging right hook. Now he attempts a takedown and Volkov shrugs it off easily.
Tybura with a few nice punches as Volkov is backed up against the cage, and a knee in there too.
Back to striking range. Jab for Volkov. He lands a right now. Another short right from him. Knee to the body for Volkov.
Tybura trying for the takedown again and settles for the clinch, but Volkov pushes him away and tries for a kick. Tybura immediately into the clinch again, but Volkov turns him into the cage. Tybura continues working though and is in on a single leg now, but again Volkov defends it well.
Back to striking range. Head kick attempt from Volkov is blocked. Tybura punches to the chest. Two-piece combo for Volkov.
jab and a left hand from Tybura. Leg kick from Volkov as Tybura head hunts. Jab from Volkov, but his punches aren’t quite as stinging as earlier on as he tires a little.
Jab for Volkov. Now a side kick to the body. Tybura drives into his latest takedown attempt and it doesn’t pay off again. Tybura remains clinching up against the cage for the remaining seconds of the round.
Round Three:
Inside leg kicks traded to start the final round. Missed punches from Tybura. Heavy knee to the body from Volkov.
Jab from Volkov and Tybura lands a punch over the top. Tybura back into the clinch. He’s not doing a whole lot from these positions, but he’s controlling the action.
Volkov gets free. Grazing right from Tybura. Hard punches land from Volkov. Tybura trying to work the takedown and Volkov stops him easily.
Tybura misses with a punch. He tries for a head kick and it misses. Volkov lands to the body. Now a couple of punches from him as Tybura comes forward.
left hand for Volkov. Tybura again gets nothing from a takedown attempt, but now it’s Volkov who is able to shift around to his back.
Volkov unable to get anything doing from there though. Back to striking and Volkov lands hard, straight punches and seems to have his second wind now as he’s putting more into these blows.
Another hard punch for Volkov. Tybura lands a couple of punches too now. Light body kick from Tybura. He steps into range and eats a Volkov jab.
Clinch again from Tybura but only briefly before Volkov gets away. Volkov lands a kick upstairs, but just grazes the head more than anything.
Reaching jab from Tybura. Final 10 seconds. Uppercut from Tybura. Body kick from Volkov as the horn sounds.
Decision:
Not the most thrilling fight then, with Volkov having the better striking of the two and doing very well to stuff Tybura’s many takedown attempts, but he did seem to tire at times in the middle of the fight and Tybura was constantly marching forward, throwing punches and having periods of control from the clinch.
The results are in and it’s Volkov who emerges with a unanimous decision victory (30-27 x2, 29-28).
