Alexander Volkanovski defeated Max Holloway for the third time on Saturday night, defending his featherweight title by unanimous decision with an impressive showing that dominated at UFC 276.
Volkanovski (25-1) extended his winning streak to 22 games with a debut against Holloway (23-7), the former 145-pound champion. Volkanovski executed a sharp boxing plan against one of the UFC’s best fighters, getting Holloway bloody early on and increasing the punishment in the final minutes.
Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya face to face Jared Cannonier during the main event from the T-Mobile Arena on the Vegas Strip.
UFC 276’s penultimate bout ended a memorable trilogy between Volkanovski and Holloway, possibly the two greatest featherweights in UFC history aside from longtime reigning champion Jose Aldo. Volkanovski won two highly competitive matches by decision against Holloway in 2019 and 2020, but Holloway won the next two matches to reassert his claim for another match in the belt he already holds. keep for three years.
“Max Holloway is an absolute monster,” said Volkanovski. “It was the intensity we both had, I needed it. I really needed it. I had to think for myself.”
Two proficient strikers always kept the game on their feet, but the smaller Volkanovski was able to close the gap to deal damage in the first two innings, especially opening a nasty cut above Holloway’s left eye. Holloway’s response dwindled as his cuts grew larger, and Volkanovski patiently took the scoring shots to leave no doubt about the decision.
Holloway’s entire face flushed at the last ring of the bell. Volkanovski won every round on all three judges’ votes, 50-45.
Before the title fight, Alex Pereira knocked out Sean Strickland with mid-round hits in the first round of the victory, making the Brazilian kickboxing champion an immediate title contender.
Bryan Barbarena also stopped Robbie Lawler strike at the end of the second half of a brutal war in which both veterans suffered terrible punishment. After losing the first game on two umpire scorecards, Barbarena ended it with a protracted match, which began with a series of elbow moves to break the defense of 40-year-old Lawler, whose match First fight at UFC in 2002 .
On the bottom card, Jim Miller set UFC record with 24th career win, over Donald Cerrone with chopping in the second round.
The 38-year-old Miller’s landmark win broke his ties with Cerrone and Andrei Arlovski to mark a UFC career victory.
“You’ll never see (combined) numbers going into this fight again, but I’m happy to get the W,” Miller said. “That guillotine, I can do it in my sleep. I know it’s only a matter of time.”
The 39-year-old Cerrone retired to the cage after the game. Cerrone beat Miller in their first meeting in 2014, but Cerrone is currently 4-10 since 2016 on a seven-game winless streak.
Veteran flyweight fighter Jessica Eye has announced her retirement after losing to Maycee Barber. Eye, who turned 36 this month, fought for the 125-pound title in 2019, but has now lost five of six.
Associated Press report.
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