Alexander Volkanovski defeated Max Holloway for the 3rd time Saturday night, defending his featherweight title by unanimous final decision with a dominant striking performance at UFC 276.
Volkanovski (25-1) extended his profitable streak to 22 fights with a commanding screen towards Holloway (23-7), the former winner at 145 lbs .. Volkanovski executed a sharp boxing video game prepare in opposition to one of the UFC’s very best punchers, bloodying Holloway’s experience early on and steadily expanding the punishment into the last minutes.
Middleweight winner Israel Adesanya confronted Jared Cannonier in the most important party from T-Cellular Arena on the Vegas Strip.
The penultimate bout of UFC 276 concluded a memorable trilogy between Volkanovski and Holloway, likely the two biggest featherweights in UFC record outside the house of long-reigning champ Jose Aldo. Volkanovski received two remarkably competitive fights by decision more than Holloway in 2019 and 2020, but Holloway gained his future two fights to reassert his claim to one more shot at the belt he held for three decades.
“Max Holloway is an complete beast,” Volkanovski reported. “That intensity that we each experienced, I necessary it. I really wanted it. I experienced to get in my possess head.”
#ANDSTILL THE FEATHERWEIGHT Winner 🏆@alexvolkanovski takes a unanimous final decision over Max Holloway to keep his title at #UFC276 pic.twitter.com/uqtspGZhCb
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Two proficient strikers understandably kept the combat on the ft, but the scaled-down Volkanovski capably closed the length to do damage in the first two rounds, specially in opening a awful reduce earlier mentioned Holloway’s left eye. Holloway’s solutions dwindled as his cuts grew more substantial, and Volkanovski patiently racked up scoring shots to go away no doubt in the final decision.
Holloway’s entire encounter was crimson at the ultimate bell. Volkanovski won every round on all 3 judges’ scorecards, 50-45.
In advance of the title fights, Alex Pereira demolished Sean Strickland with strikes midway by way of the initially spherical of a victory that burnished the Brazilian kickboxing champion’s position as an immediate title contender.
On the undercard, Jim Miller established a UFC record with his 24th job victory, finishing Donald Cerrone with a guillotine choke in the next spherical.
The 38-calendar year-outdated Miller’s landmark victory broke his tie with Cerrone and Andrei Arlovski for the UFC’s vocation wins mark.
“You might be by no means going to see the [combined] quantities that came into this fight ever yet again, but I’m enthusiastic to get the W,” Miller reported. “That guillotine, I can do it in my sleep. I realized it was only a make any difference of time.”
The 39-calendar year-previous Cerrone retired in the cage just after the bout. Cerrone defeat Miller in their very first assembly in 2014, but Cerrone is now 4-10 given that 2016 with a 7-struggle winless streak.
Veteran flyweight Jessica Eye announced her retirement following losing a determination to Maycee Barber. Eye, who turns 36 this thirty day period, fought for the 125-pound title in 2019, but has now misplaced 5 of 6.
