Max Holloway will be hoping it is third time lucky this weekend against Alexander Volkanovski.
Twice the two top-ranked featherweight fighters have met in the past, and twice is has been the Australian who has had his hand raised. This weekend’s clash at UFC 276 as part of an ‘International Fight Week’ card topped with two world title fights will see Holloway try for a third time to beat Volkanovski and regain the 145-pound title in the process — and judging by the evidence of their second fight, this one promises to be another close affair.
Holloway has been in good form recently, easily beating Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez in his last two fights while Volkanovski has defeated both Brian Ortega and Chan Sung-Jung since he last met Holloway in the cage. It is a pivotal fight for both (as any world title fight is) but perhaps more-so for Holloway, who will be faced with questions as to his future at featherweight if he leaves Las Vegas this weekend with three defeats to the champ on his record.
The second fight, though, was as close as it gets and left an impression that the third can go either way.
Relive that second encounter below, and let us know who you’re leaning towards when they got at it in Sin City once again late on Saturday night.
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