Max Holloway

See the top Twitter reactions to Alexander Volkanovski's dominant trilogy-fight title defense over Max Holloway at UFC 276.

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Volkanovski made it a clean sweep over the former champion in the co-main event from Las Vegas.

Holloway began to fight more desperate in Round 4 and traded strikes on largely even terms as the action slowed. Volkanovski began to openly taunt Holloway in the opening round and briefly buckled him with a big right cross. But he turned in a largely lifeless performance as Volkanovski's speed and accuracy began to piece the Hawaiian fan favorite up from the start.

Alexander Volkanovski once again proved to be too much for Max Holloway, defending his title against the Hawaiian via unanimous decision at UFC 276 from ...

Volkanovski has certainly earned the right to test himself in a new division. The way he dismantled Holloway to make his career record against Blessed 3-0 is the kind of thing that will be used in Greatest of All-Time debates for years to come. While the commentary seems to revolve around the speed of Volk, I’m more impressed by the traps that Alexander is setting up with his jab.

Max Holloway has lapped the rest of the field at featherweight, but Alexander Volkanovski has lapped Holloway.

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Alex Volkanovski has ended his rivalry with Max Holloway in decisive fashion, retaining his featherweight title in the co-main event of UFC 276.

Moments later, Volkanovski landed a brilliant right hand that split his opponent on the eyebrow line. The champ looked the faster of the two fighters in the opening round, not allowing Holloway to get too close. In an exciting first round, Volkanovski landed the weight of heavy shots, but the challenger did come back late with a flurry of good counter-shots.

Billy Ward breaks down Saturday's matchup between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway at UFC 276 (T-Mobile Arena).

I see some appeal to the over 3.5, 4.5 or Volkanovski by decision plays, as well. He took rounds 1 and 2 by a fairly wide margin, with Volkanovski eking out the last three. Volkanovski was officially credited as 3/9 on takedowns in their last fight, with all of the attempts coming in Round 3 or later. The odds feel a bit off here, with a razor-thin split decision for Volkanovski last time. Volkanovski very clearly lost the first two rounds last time, so mixing in some grappling was a wise adjustment. His leg kicks, grappling and cardio are all ideal to take over fights late. While he’s the older fighter, he turned pro four years after Holloway and has slightly fewer fights. When paired with Volkanovski’s moneyline at DraftKings, the odds are -125. I’m still finding it hard to pull the trigger on former champ Holloway, though. That’s where featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will once again meet former titleholder Max Holloway. However, after Holloway rebounded with wins over Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez to reclaim top-contender status, he has earned a third crack at Volkanovski’s belt. 12/4/91

Alexander Volkanovski put on a masterclass over five rounds while pouring on the punishment round after round to beat Max Holloway in the UFC 276 co-main ...

Incredibly, Volkanovski was still upping his output late in the fight as he really started to pursue Holloway with that same slick jab from the left that was always followed by a devastating right behind it. The problem was the blood getting into the eye along with Volkanovski’s precision and power were a terrible combination for Holloway trying to make a comeback. It was a game of inches between the two best featherweights in the world at the start with Volkanovski loading up on a right hand and Holloway moving forward while looking to establish his volume striking attack.

Alexander Volkaovski proved to be one of the top pound-for-pound UFC fighters at UFC 276 with a comprehensive shutout over Max Holloway in their trilo.

Still Volkonovski finished the round strong with his excellent timing of the jab. One might say that turned the fight, but really it just confirmed the way it was going. Holloway struggled to match that pace and certainly the timing.

The UFC featherweight champion put on a clinic against rival Holloway in the UFC 276 co-main event Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Volkanovski (25-1 ...

Jessica Eye via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Holloway tried to regain it in 2020, but lost by split decision. With the win, Volkanovski added to his lengthy streak. Holloway kept moving forward, looking to get offense going, but Volkanovski’s defense was too much for the Hawaiian. Volkanovski picked his shots and battered Holloway over the next 15 minutes. In the second, Volkanovski picked up right where he left off. In the final seconds, Holloway connected with a couple of good right hands, but it was clear Volkanovski had done the more significant work.

In a rather shocking turn of events, Max Holloway left Saturday's UFC 276 bloodied and with a massive cut courtesy of Alexander Volkanovski.

The win for Volkanovski also means that he’s now 3-0 in his trilogy with Holloway. A lot of people questioned his rematch with Holloway in Fight Island in 2020, noting that it was the former featherweight champ that should have won the contest. Volkanovski was dominant right from the start, and while Holloway had his moments, the former champion just looked a step behind “The Great.” Volk’s boxing was particularly spectacular, as his massive right hand in the second round busted Holloway’s eyebrow open and made life hard for him throughout. In a rather shocking and graphic turn of events, Max Holloway left Saturday’s UFC 276 bloodied and with a massive cut above his right eye courtesy of Alexander Volkanovski.

Hawaii's Max Holloway absorbed a kick to the face from Alexander Volkanovski in a featherweight title bout at UFC 276 in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Volkanovski out-struck Holloway 199 to 127. I want to be busy,” Volkanovski said. When it was over, even Holloway, whose face and shorts were covered in blood after a bad cut opened over his left eye in the second round, couldn’t question who the best is at 145 pounds. Volkanovski was met with a scattering of boos that turned into acknowledging cheers as the fight wore on and it became and obvious that Holloway offered little for Volkanovski to be concerned about. “I just proved to you that I want to be in this Octagon as much as possible. I really needed it.

Alexander Volkanovski is glad Max Holloway ignited a verbal altercation prior to their UFC 276 trilogy.

“They are a lot bigger wins than your average defense.” It was hurting, it was hard time, but it made me who I am now, so I’m proud that it happened. I don’t need anyone help me raise the bar, I do it myself, but he makes it easy to make me be disciplined.” I don’t know if it was a part of his game to get inside my head and try make me brawl or something like that and fight silly, I don’t, but I was like, ‘Mate, you just put fire in my belly. I wanted to go there, I was going to soak up the energy, even if it was boos, whatever, I was using that to get that fire in the belly. I needed that,” Volkanovski said on Saturday. “I was going to go to that [pre-fight] press conference, I thought it was going to be chill.

Max Holloway made his first public comments following a lopsided loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 276.

There are certainly plenty of fascinating options for the 30-year-old. We need to rebuild and we will. We need to rebuild and we will. Congrats to my brother— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) @alexvolkanovski. Go get that 55 strap. Holloway challenged Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 276 event in Las Vegas, and looked to get one back after dropping a pair of competitive decisions in their previous meetings. Prob gonna need a 4th to settle this.

Max Holloway is handling his trilogy-fight loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 276 with the utmost class.

The third fight was the least competitive of the series, with “Blessed” getting busted up on the feet in a bloody affair. We need to rebuild and we will. Instead of getting down on himself, though, Holloway lifted his opponent up.