Max Holloway reflects nothing of his hometown Waianae’s reputation of drug use, crime and homelessness.
Perhaps you could use the Hawaiian’s granite chin as a metaphor for his ability to counter adversity. Yet to be knocked down in 25 UFC appearances, Holloway is an outlier.
So how does Alexander Volkanovski, once a pint-sized rugby league prop from Windang, become the man most likely to floor Holloway under the bright lights of Las Vegas?
“I’m a pretty powerful dude,” UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski said.
A dude making a case to be the greatest fighter the featherweight division has ever seen, a dude angling for a shot at the lightweight crown which would see him become the eighth two-division champion in UFC history. Only four have held two belts simultaneously.
But first comes Holloway [23-6], desperate to regain his title and atone for two defeats at the hands of Volkanovski [24-1]. If they’ve fought twice already and the Australian has won both, why are they doing it again at UFC 276 at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday [AEST]?
UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski will look to defend his title this week.Credit:Getty Images
Because Volkanovski is the No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Holloway is No. 6.
“It is pretty incredible. I know it is different, me being 2-0, but I still think that adds to the story. The fact Max was stubborn and made sure no one took that spot, that adds to the story because he’s better now,” Volkanovski said.
Twice Volkanovski has claimed razor-thin decisions to beat Holloway. This time, he vows to put a beating on the “Blessed” one.
Which brings us back to the chin.
“It’s a legendary chin that he has. It’s incredible,” Volkanovski said.
“I’ve always said you don’t want to be known for your granite chin, but at the same time, if I could take that chin and put him out, it really is sending a statement because no one has done that.
“It can’t hold up forever, but let’s see if it holds up this fight. I know I’m going to land, I’m going to land big, I’m going to be coming forward and landing some big shots. Let’s see if that legendary chin holds up.”
The great complexity of the fight game is that those within refer to competition as “war” and “art” in the same breath.
Alex Volkanovski is chasing his 22nd win in a row.Credit:Getty
So many of Volkanovski’s recent outings have been seminars in brutality.
Among the names on his 24-1 record are Chad Mendes, Jung Chan-Sung [better known as The Korean Zombie], Jose Aldo, Holloway – twice – and Brian Ortega. The only former featherweight champion missing from his resume is Conor McGregor, a fight Volkanovski would entertain.
Volkanovski knows what knocking out Holloway would do for his legacy. Doing so would be akin to the night he escaped Brian Ortega’s guillotine and triangle chokes, because as UFC great Daniel Cormier said in commentary at the time, “nobody gets out of that”.
“People really got to see something you don’t really get to see too often. People want to know, ‘what’s Volk about?’ That was a good showing,” Volkanovski said.
“I always say I have that never give up attitude, that never die attitude. That next-level type of resilience was seen on that night. People grew respect there. After that last performance people really jumped on board.
“With the records and all that, I know it’s incredible. People ask me about the records and the 21-fight win streak, I just go by each performance. I just look at that next task. I was asked ‘are you worried about losing the streak?’ Nah, I don’t care about losing the streak, I care about losing. I don’t want to lose, plain and simple, I’m a competitor.”
The third instalment in the Volkanovski-Holloway trilogy is Sunday’s co-main event on a card headlined by Israel Adesanya’s middleweight title defence against Jared Cannonier.
But for Alexander the Great and the man with the granite chin, it means so much more.
“This is a legacy fight, 100 percent,” Holloway said.
“You guys all know what pound-for-pound ranking he is. You guys know what pound-for-pound ranking I am. And we’re on the higher end of the pound-for-pound ranks.
“This is huge in every way. To be honest, people are calling us the main event of this card, and that’s saying a lot. That’s saying a lot about this fight. So, that’s what it is.”
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