Alexander Volkanovski put on a leg-kick clinic in the co-main event at UFC 245, defeating Max Holloway to become the new UFC featherweight champion.
Would the Blessed Era continue following UFC 245? Max Holloway was back in action at the PPV event Saturday, holding down the co-main event slot against Alexander Volkanovski. The fresh twist on this fight was the impressive run the Australian challenger came in on — a seventeen fight win streak. Volkanovski represented a new generation of challengers, the first of several fresh faces stalking the 145lb weight class, including Yair Rodriguez and Zabit Magomedsharipov.
Max opened up the first with his jab to find the range, Volkanovski responds with some heavy leg kicks. Max fires back with a calf kick of his own and a right to the body. Volkanovski sticks with the leg kick gameplan, landing some heavy ones to Max’s lead leg. He also fired off some heavy shots upstairs as well, as he landed a couple of nice left hooks. Max fires off a leg kick of his own and catches Volkanovski with a nice short right. Volkanovski shot in for a takedown but Max stuffed it up against the fence. Volkanovski missing more as the round ends, had the range early but Max did well as the round went on to adjust.
Max’s lead leg is really red to open round two. Volkanovski was doing a number to his legs to start the second, but he couldn’t land much upstairs. Was mostly swinging at air, while Max struggled to walk through the leg kicks. Holloway lands a nice combination, not super hard but the strikes land. Max switched to southpaw as his leg was getting chopped up, but Volkanovski was immediately targeting that leg too. Holloway landed another nice combination but Volkanovski was clearly up two rounds heading into the third round.
Max’s upper body defense was great, kept Volkanovski swinging at the air for almost the entire fight, but Volkanovski kept chopping at those legs to open the third. A short uppercut by Holloway lands, and Volkanovski counters with a short hook that lands clean. Volkanovski tells Holloway that he is fresh, and he looked the part in the third, as he fires off a body kick. Volkanovski stuns Holloway briefly with a left hook, but Holloway seemed mostly unphased. Holloway landed a few more combinations and got a welt under Alex’s eye, but he was running out of functioning legs heading into the fourth.
Volkanovski opened up with some more leg kicks, then finished up with a right hand that lands clean. Holloway lands a double jab as Volkanovski goes in for a takedown, but Max defends well. Holloway lands two nice combinations in a row, but eats a low-kick and is forced to switch back to orthodox. Holloway lands a big uppercut, however, Volkanovski lands a right hand followed by a leg kick. Volkanovski talking lots of trash to Holloway as Max walks him down and rips to the body. Volkanovski’s eye is starting to swell, but another good round for Volkanovski, but also a good response by the champion.
Throwing wild in the pocket!
Four rounds down, one to go! 🏆 #UFC245 pic.twitter.com/7iwyF8qb72
— UFC (@ufc) December 15, 2019
Holloway having a good start to round five, landing to the body multiple times. Volkanovski on the backfoot once again but lands a right hand upstairs while Max rips to the body. Right-left combination by Max and Volkanovski tries to push Max into the fence. Holloway lands a clean right-hand and Max is feeling the range now. Volkanovski looks for a takedown with a minute remaining but couldn’t get it. Holloway separates and continues landing, he had a great fifth round, but it was too late. Alexander Volkanovski was the new UFC featherweight champion, what a performance.
He has DONE it! 🏆
🇦🇺 @AlexVolkanovski derails the Blessed Express at #UFC245! pic.twitter.com/ekpfAWeQ3N
— UFC (@ufc) December 15, 2019
Official Result: Alexander Volkanovski defeats Max Holloway via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 50-45)
