UFC 300 is up next week and fans, and fighters, cannot wait to see what unfolds. By all means, it is poised to be perhaps the greatest night in combat sports history. Whilst the card is littered with amazing fights from top to bottom, Charles Oliveira vs Arman Tsarukyan is a fight that many are anxious about.
For those unaware, Charles ‘Do Bronx’ Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan previously hinted that they had signed the contract for their next fights. Shortly thereafter, fans put two and two together to determine that they were likely set to face each other. Lo and behold, the UFC soon announced that the matchup would be for the number #1 contender spot, set to take place on April 13, at UFC 300.
It’s all coming together for #UFC300 🙌@CharlesDoBronxs vs @ArmanUFC pic.twitter.com/RRIyaV8txf
— UFC (@ufc) January 9, 2024
All things considered, it is a massive matchup for the lightweight division. Not only are Oliveira and Tsarukyan both top contenders, but they have only fallen short against Islam Makhachev in recent times. Thus, it makes all the sense that they duke it out in order to determine who is more worthy of a rematch.
Alexander Volkanovski picks Charles Oliveira to beat Arman Tsarukyan
Coming into this one, a lot has been made of Charles Oliveira and how he will perform against Arman Tsarukyan. Whilst his evergrowing fanbase has picked him to absolutely destroy Arman, level-headed fans realize that Charles is by all means an underdog for this fight. Despite his tremendous performance against Beneil Dariush UFC 289, there are still doubts about the Brazilian.
However, former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has picked the former lightweight champ to topple Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300:
“I can definitely see Charles Oliveira getting a finish here. I can see it. The thing is, Arman is definitely gonna swing, he’s gonna bring the fight, it’s gonna be a very exciting fight.
“I’m starting to lean a little bit towards Charles Oliveira here. I always lean toward wrestlers over full grapplers, but I feel like he can be a bit of a risk-taker. Charles Oliveira is the underdog and you know I like an underdog pick, I think you could see a finish for Charles Oliveira on this one.”
Notably, Oliveira holds the record for the most finishes in the UFC whilst Tsarukyan has never been finished in the UFC. Thus, it is entirely possible that Oliveira becomes the man to change that. Although Arman will be considered the stronger wrestler and the harder hitter, Oliveira’s ability to catch his opponents on the way in is his best quality.
In his previous fight, Charles managed to swarm Beneil Dariush, who desperately shot for a takedown. Seeing how Oliveira managed to stuff the takedown and not let off the pressure shows his development over the years. That, along with his wide variety of methods to end the fight, makes him a much more of a threat than even Tsarukyan gives him credit for.
Alexander Volkanovski reveals the rest of his UFC 300 predictions
Understandably, the pick between Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan was a very difficult one. However, after seeing the way Oliveira beat Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler, Alex expects a similar mistake out of Arman. Notably, he is also picking another underdog, Max Holloway to win against Gaethje as well. Despite beating Holloway on three occasions, Volkanovski believes that he has what it takes to beat Gaethje and claim the BMF title.
Similar to Demetrious Johnson, Volkanovski also believes that Holloway will be a tough nut to crack at 155 lbs. Moreover, with the Hawaiian taking time to transition to the weight class fully, he will have a lot more to offer. Drawing similarities to his pick of Oliveira, Volk seems to think that both fighters will be doing a lot more than the oddsmakers seem to believe.
Gear up for greatness 👊
We’re ready to continue making history ✨#UFC300 is right around the corner pic.twitter.com/PIcYlLtU03
— UFC (@ufc) April 7, 2024
However, when it comes to co-main and the main event of the evening, Volk went with the popular pick of Xhang Weili and Alex Pereira to win their respective fights. For the most part, a lot of fans and fighters will be having similar picks for the event. As such, no one can possibly predict the twists and turns that lie in wait for fans on the night of the event. Either way, UFC 300 will be one for the ages, no doubts about it.