Volkanovski is daddy, deal
How this past weekends stellar match up between (3)Yair Rodriguez and (1)Max Holloway signaled the turning of the guard at 145
I released a poll on our IG page that was an opinion, “Volkanovski has the right to decide who his next opponent should be, he has done more than enough.” And much to my pleasure it was a pretty even split through 14 voters. 8 said that he should be able to dictate, while another 6 said that he needs to fight Max. Small, but fair enough sample size.
The thing that I have a hard time believing is that (1)Max Holloway after that last fight has a shot of winning against (C)Volkanovsk.
(3)Yair Rodriguez came out with a gameplay early that faded throughout the fight, and that was leg kicks, and lots of them. Yair in total, landed 57 leg kicks out of 64 total attempts, landing close to 90%. Yair did his homework and found one of Holloway’s flaws. Though it wasn’t too hard to find, Volkanovski had already done it twice before. Chop the lead leg, hard, fast and early.
I understand why people love Max, fuck, I love Max Holloway. He is the first fighter to get to 3,000 strikes landed, he also owns the record for most wins in featherweight history (UFC). Loves his son, seems like a good husband to his wife, loves gaming. What is their not lot love? He legit loves fighting. He has always wanted to go against the best and has not shied away from going to another weight class just to prove the point that the “best is blessed”
Since the rematch with (1)Dustin Porier, however, he has gone 4-3 including the L he took that night for the interim lightweight title. The only person he lost to was Volkanovski. Both fights were close, but at the end of the day it only matters who was left with the strap and that was Volkanovski.
Making a trilogy at this time is short sighted and greedy, which is the UFC’s M.O. but when you have options why would you opt for shooting yourself in the foot? It will always be there, so why pull the trigger on that option?
This was by far the most I have seen Holloway damaged since the Porier fight. If for whatever reason Holloway ends up on the wrong side of the match again, he would then be 0-3 against the champ, then what? Have another situation where the number 1 contender can no longer challenge akin to the (C)Rose/(1)Zhang situation at strawweight?
Also, am I the only one that is getting burnt out on rematches and trilogies? With a quick look I saw at least 7 rematches or trilogies that happened this past year alone. I get the immediate payoff but why don’t we try and build up the suspense instead of blowing our wad like Colby Covington fan that found out about porn for the first time?
A fight between Max and (9LW)Conor McGregor would be dope at 155. Both have a rivalry going all the way back to 2013, UFC Fight Night 26: Shogun vs. Sonnen at Featherweight where he was a short notice replacement.
Funny how Max’s first fight in the UFC which was the short notice replacement for Ricardo Lamas in UFC 143 on February 4, 2012, against another familiar foe, Dustin Poirier. He lost the fight via submission (mounted triangle armbar) in the first round.
You get a big names in both Max and Conor. You have the storyline that they are rivals already built in. Conor is on a losing streak and Max going to 155 would be interesting if done correctly.
For Volkanovski, the champion, the one that currently has two wins(no matter how close) over Holloway, why on gods green earth would you not match him up with Henry Cejudo? Who, at every chance, calls for a match with Alexander every time.
Volkanovski v Cejudo would have everything, intrigue, rivalry, and not to mention the most important value, someone new. A win win situation, you get a new challenger with name value in Cejudo. Let’s not forget that Henry did end up saving Flyweight. Volkanovski has had three title fights, of those, Max Holloway was on the opposite of Volkanovski twice. Why are we rushing to a third fight so quick?
Yes Max has earned the title shot with his record setting performance against Calvin Katter, but forgetting about Alexander just because Max is cool as fuck is wack in principle.
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