While Alexander Volkanovski is 2-0 against Max Holloway, the close nature of their second meeting has given the rivalry a feel of unfinished business heading into their trilogy at UFC 276.
Volkanovski claimed featherweight gold with a unanimous verdict over Holloway at UFC 245 and edged the Hawaiian via split decision in their rematch at UFC 251. The second meeting was highly disputed in the MMA community, as many observers felt that Holloway deserved the nod. Nonetheless, Volkanvovski is the one entering the third bout with championship gold, a 21-fight winning streak and a lofty pound-for-pound ranking.
The 33-year-old City Kickboxing respresentative doesn’t think he has anything to prove at this point, but he hopes to make a more emphatic statement against “Blessed” the third time around.
“I don’t think I have to do anything, but that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna try,” Volkanovski said at a recent press conference. “I plan on putting a beating on him this time. I really do want to set a statement, obviously get a finish or really get that dominant win will definitely help that legacy that I want as well. That’s something I felt like I’ve always talked about, that I want to prove to people. The opportunity’s here and I’m gonna take it.”
Volkanovski is well aware of the critics who believe he didn’t deserve to defeat Holloway in their rematch. However, he says the noise has subsided somewhat, especially after successful title defenses against the likes of Brian Ortega and Chan Sung Jung. Now, “The Great” is looking as a trilogy with Holloway as an opportunity to really make a name for himself.
“They’ve quieted down a little bit. I don’t care about it now. That’s not why I took this fight, it wasn’t just to shut them guys up,” Volkanovski said. “I did originally want this trilogy to shut people up, but right now it’s not about that. This fight’s gonna be a legacy fight for me. They’re are gonna be haters no matter what you do. Even after this one and if I go out there and do what I plan on doing, there’s still gonna be haters. We can’t worry about that. I have used it all as fuel to get me to where I am. I plan on going out there and really putting work on him.
“Again, he’s a great fighter. I’ll give him a lot of credit. He’s done great things in this division, probably the reason he’s even getting a trilogy. I think really taking him out again will really put my name out there and raise that bar for me.”