“No person can doubt me now.”
And, actually, none ought to have doubted Alexander “The Nice” Volkanovski from the beginning, even lengthy earlier than his post-fight declaration Saturday night time.
However he’s proper. All current questions erased. He's, unequivocally, the world’s best featherweight fighter.
Volkanovski (25-1, 15 finishes) put three exclamation factors — one for every victory — on the finish of his championship trilogy with Max Holloway with a clear sweep of the scorecards within the UFC 276 co-main occasion, defending his crown for the fourth time since first ripping it from Holloway (23-7, 12 finishes) 2 ½ years in the past.
“To take a seat there and take out somebody like Max thrice, that’s actually, actually, actually saying one thing,” Volkanovski mentioned at his post-fight media availability, placing into context what going 3-0 towards Holloway means within the grand scheme. “They’re quite a bit larger wins than the typical protection.”
Any current slights on Volkanovski’s standing hint squarely to a razor-close resolution victory two years in the past within the United Arab Emirates, with no followers within the Abu Dhabi area on the top of the COVID-19 pandemic. Loads have been satisfied Holloway did sufficient to win.
Not a soul on the Las Vegas Strip might make such a case within the third, and certainly remaining, Volkanovski victory. The Aussie caked his rival’s face together with his personal blood — spouting mainly from a lower on the Hawaiian’s left eyebrow, opened by a heavy hook halfway by way of the second spherical.
Holloway, who was transported to a hospital after the bout, had introduced further power to Thursday’s pre-fight press convention, a component Volkanovski credit with fueling his personal hearth earlier than capping an unlikely trilogy.
“Max Holloway is an absolute beast,” mentioned Volkanovski within the moments after his declaration as the apparent winner. “That depth he introduced, that we each had the previous few days, I wanted it. I actually wanted it.”
From the leap, the 33-year-old Volkanovski appeared each stronger and quicker. He was additionally chattier, clearly feeding off the power Holloway fed days earlier.
“Oh yeah!” the champ could possibly be heard late in spherical one after a stiff jab linked. Leg kicks had been his simplest weapon over 10 full rounds throughout two fights earlier than this weekend. This time, it was a power-packed proper hand that left the 30-year-old Holloway battered and totally outclassed. The truth that Volkanovski advised reporters later he believed he broke that hand within the second body makes the weapon’s effectiveness all of the extra outstanding.
If he’s proper, it’s an outdated harm that ties into the origins of the Holloway trilogy.
“My first struggle with Max, I broke just about the very same [spot] on the correct hand,” Volkanovski mentioned. “I broke that twice [in] the identical spot. I’d be very shocked if it’s not the identical harm.”
In fights one and two, based mostly on totals from UFC Stats, 48 p.c of Volkanovski’s vital strikes landed have been to the legs. Saturday, it plummeted to 14 p.c because the Aussie landed a trilogy-high 199 vital strikes. A plus-72 edge in that class stands out towards Holloway, the proprietor of the UFC’s single-fight vital strike report who did not outland the champion in any of their three contests.
Whereas not possessing fight-ending energy, Volkanovksi’s pop and pace — particularly that pace — might carry properly if he will get his post-fight want. Echoing a sentiment he shared earlier this 12 months with The Submit, he issued a respectful problem to former light-weight champion Charles Oliveira for the belt Oliveira had stripped due to lacking weight earlier than a dominant win over Justin Gaethje in Might.
And if the Aussie has his method, a struggle for the vacant 155-pound crown wouldn't imply the tip of his days ruling the roost at 145.
“I simply proved to you that I need to be on this octagon as a lot as attainable,” Volkanovski mentioned. “I need to be busy. I don’t suppose this division itself can maintain me busy. I need to transfer up, go for double-champ, and I’ll maintain two divisions busy.”
As Volkanovski seems up in weight, so too do champions from the lighter divisions. Henry Cejudo, who retired because the bantamweight champion two years in the past and is plotting a comeback, congratulated the featherweight king whereas stating his need to problem him down the road. Present 135-pound champ from Lengthy Island Aljamain Sterling tweeted that he believes he would “take Volkanovski down fairly simply and submit him.”
A critic of his division’s lack of clear challengers able to face him and maintain him busy, Volkanovski wasn’t shying away from the bantamweights.
“Man, I would like challengers, proper?” he advised reporters, notably with regard to Cejudo. “They must be huge fights, and if individuals scream for them, we’ll see.”
As for Sterling’s boast, Volkanovski dismissed it with a smile.
“That’s alright. Let him speak.” he mentioned. “He’s obtained his personal division to carry onto. Credit score to him, to struggle somebody like Petr Yan [in April] and get the win, however calm down.”
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