LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 2: Alexander Volkanovski (R) of Australia beats Max Holloway in his featherweight title fight during UFC 276 at the T-Mobile Arena on July 2, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada . (Photo by Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS – Max Holloway turned the rest of the field with a featherweight, but Alexander Volkanovski turned Holloway.
Volkanovsky showed the giant abyss at the top of possibly the best and deepest division in the UFC by winning all five rounds against the former champion in the best performance of his career on Saturday in the co-op event. UFC 276 principal at the T-Mobile Arena.
Volkanovski beat Holloway, who has been proclaimed the UFC’s best boxer. Volkanovski was almost perfect in his boxing and didn’t really have to step on gas at all in the fight.
He was practically in second gear, blowing Holloway with blows and right hand and controlling the fight from start to finish.
He has now beaten Holloway the three times they have faced each other, following victories at UFC 245 in 2019 and UFC 251 in 2020. They were very close, and there is a legitimate argument that Holloway won the second.
This, however, was a no doubt.
“Max Holloway is an absolute beast,” Volkanovski said. “This intensity that he brought in the last few days brought out the best in me. I needed it. “
Volkanovski ranks second pound per pound in the UFC standings and is the best featherweight by a long margin.
He now has his eye on light weight. UFC president Dana White said she would allow Volkanovsky to fight for the belt if he went up and Volkanovsky seemed to indicate to the cage that this is what he would do.
“This split isn’t enough to keep me busy,” Volkanovski said about featherweights. “I want to go up because I need two divisions to keep me busy.”
He opened a massive, cavernous slit over Holloway’s left eye at the start of the fight, which bled profusely. To his credit, he didn’t seem to mind Holloway.
He fought hard, but was overwhelmed by a superior fighter.