"No one can doubt me now."
And, in fact, even long before the post-combat declaration on Saturday night, from the beginning Alexander should not have doubted the "great" Volkanovski.
But he is right. All existing questions have been erased. He is arguably the best featherweight fighter in the world.
Volkanovski (25-1, 15 finishes) put three exclamation marks at the end of the championship trilogy with Max Holloway, who wiped out the scorecards at the UFC 276 Joint Main Event. rice field. , The fourth crown defense since ripping the crown first from Hollowway (23-7, 12 finishes) two and a half years ago.
The only existing minor issue with Volkanovski's status is a razor-like decision in the arena of Abu Dhabi in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates two years ago. It is directly linked to the victory of. Many were convinced that Hollowway had done enough to win.
The soul of the Las Vegas Strip is third and certainly the last , Volkanovski's victory. Australians solidified their rivals' faces with their own blood. It spewed mainly from the left eyebrow cut in Hawaii and opened with a heavy hook in the middle of the second round.
Hollowway brought extra energy to Thursday's pre-combat press conference. This is the element that Volkanovski believes he burned his fire before conquering the unlikely trilogyof.
"Max Holloway is an absolute beast," Volkanovski said shortly after clearly proclaiming himself a winner. "The strength he brought, I needed it because we two had it for the last few days. I really needed it."
From the jump, 33-year-old Volkanovski Volkanovski looked stronger and faster. He was also talkative, apparently supplying the energy that Hollowway supplied a few days ago.
"Oh yeah!" After a hard jab is connected, the champion may be heard in the second half of Round 1. The leg kick was the most effective weapon in 10 full rounds in two battles until this weekend. This time, it was the power-filled right hand that made the Hollowway tattered and completely out of class. The fact that Volkanovski seemed to believe that he broke his hand at the opening frame further accentuates the effectiveness of the weapon.
Based on the UFC Stats sum, 48% of Volkanovski's key strikes were directed at his legs in Rounds 1 and 2. It plummeted to 14 percent on Saturday when Australians landed a critical strike with a height of 199 in the trilogy. The plus 72 edge in that category stands out against Hollowway, who is the owner of a key strike record for the UFC's single fight and hasn't surpassed the champion in any of the three contests.
With Volkanovksi's pop while not having the power to end the battle Speed-especially it speed-you can carry it well if you have post-combat hope. Reflecting the feelings of sharing postsandearlier this year, he was stripped by former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira due to lack of weight before he ruled Justin Gaethje. I challenged with respect to the belt. 50 in May}.
And even if the Australian gives way, the battle for a vacant 155-pound crown does not mean that the end of his days will dominate the roost at 145. I want to be this octagon as much as possible, "Volkanovski said. "I want to be busy. I don't think this division itself can keep me busy. I want to move up and be a double champion, so I'll keep the two divisions busy."