Alexander Volkanovski Dethrones Max Holloway

Alexander Volkanovski dethroned Max Holloway and won the UFC featherweight title! Alexander the Great won via unanimous decision and defeated one of the greatest of all times.

“We’ve had great champions in this division, I promise to be a great champion too!” said Volkanovski who praised Jose Aldo and Holloway. “Australia, I’m bringing it home baby!”

The Australian was following his game plan perfectly, hurting the champ with powerful leg kicks, which in the end created a huge advantage for him, and disturbed Holloway’s tactics.

https://twitter.com/GIFSkull/status/1206091608946429953

He began using them right from the start because there was no way to come close to Holloway, who used his jabs to keep the distance. Those kicks were so severe that Holloway’s coach put ice on his left leg during the pause between the first and the second round.

At the start of the third, Volkanovski fired 31 leg kicks, which is the most Blessed absorbed in one fight.

“He changed stance though, so it probably started to do some damage. But I’ve be lying if I said I wan’t feeling hurt myself,” the new champ admitted. “He’s a great champion, nothing but respect.”

Holloway rally changed his stance in the second round, to protect the wounded leg. Nothing particularly interesting happened until the late part of that frame, with both fighters trying to protect themselves first and attack later. The champ posted two combinations, but that didn’t hurt the Australian with Macedonian origins.

The tide officially changed in the third when the challenger looked far more confident. Slowly and thoroughly, he collected points, while keeping his distance and making the rival nervous. And the same scenario took place in the fourth, but already then we saw some signs of life by the champion.

Once things become hot in the fourth, Holloway’s impeccable feeling for predicting opponents’ next move and making counter-attacks emerged to the surface.

He opened that part of the match, strongly pressing forward, and trying to find that crack in Volkanovski’s stance to deliver the blow. The champion connected a few times with the the rival’s head, making a nice combinations that sent the challenger backward. Still, the Aussie also stunned Holloway on a few occasions, throwing a hard right elbow which stopped his champ for a moment.

The cardio of @AlexVolkanovski on full display here!

🇦🇺 Volkanovski looking fresh through R3! #UFC245 pic.twitter.com/34zzqUNsEe

— UFC (@ufc) December 15, 2019

The spectators had a chance to enjoy an attractive and open show in the final few minutes, with both guys dropping their tactics and exchanging hits. Volkanovski replied to almost all the attacks and kept his advantage on the scorecards.

Holloway was disappointed but didn’t express that too much. He still believes in his capabilities, and already indicated that he isn’t going to give up on his legacy.

“I’m only 28. I’ll only get better,” he said to Dana White during the interview in the ring. “There’s two guys that decision mattered, and it didn’t go my way, so at the end of the day it is what it is.”

It is unknown what is the plan of the UFC’s president about Vokanovski’s next opponent, as many believe that Holloway had a rematch clause in his contract for this event. Following the clash, when everything same down, the new champion stated that he doesn’t have anything against giving a chance to Max to win his title back. Volkanovski is sure that the Blessed would to the same if the situation was the opposite.

“I’m sure that if the tables were turned, he’d do that for me,” he told.

Whatever happens, it is almost sure that the Blessed isn’t going to back out from the featherweight division that easy.

As for Volkanovski, he threatens to become one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC. Right now, he has 18 straight wins, 8 of them in the organization. His cardio and stamina are something remarkable, and many experts agree that he might be the most physical guy the UFC has ever seen.