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.
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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.”