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UFC 276: Why Alexander Volkanovski v Max Holloway is 'best of the best' clash

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Alexander Volkanovski and Max HollowayImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Volkanovski and Holloway have shared 10 rounds and 50 minutes together inside the octagon

Max Holloway says his "best of the best" clash with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 276 on Saturday will be as great as the bouts between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.

Volkanovski is looking for a third win over Holloway when he defends his featherweight title in Las Vegas.

Both fighters are ranked among the pound-for-pound best, as Jones and Cormier were in 2015 and 2017.

"These fights just don't happen, it's bigger than a trilogy," said Holloway.

"It's between two guys who are pound-for-pound among the best of the best. In the last decade, the only one which comes to mind is Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones."

Jones won both fights against great light-heavyweight rival Cormier before the second was deemed a no-contest after Jones tested positive for a banned substance.

Australia's Volkanovski, 33, has held the upper hand over his American counterpart Holloway, 30, so far, winning both previous encounters via two closely-fought decisions.

He is currently ranked second in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings behind Kamaru Usman, and is fresh off a dominant win over the 'Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung in April.

Hawaii's Holloway, meanwhile, is ranked sixth and has earned impressive wins over Calvin Kattar and and Yair Rodriguez since the second defeat by Volkanovski in 2020.

During his win over Kattar, Holloway broke the UFC record for the number of strikes landed in a single fight with 445.

Holloway says both fighters are operating on a higher level than many of their competitors right now and their rivalry mirrors some of sport's great ones.

"Everyone is looking for that person who is going to push them to be great, and this [Volkanovski] is the guy," said Holloway.

"This is the fight for both of us. We've had some great fights already, but this next one is going to be even greater.

"There's levels to this and I can't wait to go out there and show my level on Saturday night."

'The Daddest Man on the Planet'

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Holloway is looking to reclaim the title he lost to Volkanovski during their first meeting in 2019

When Holloway faces Volkanovski in Saturday's co-main event, his son Rush will be watching on inside the T-Mobile Arena.

Rush was born in 2012 on the same day Holloway signed his first UFC contract.

Holloway says his son being born that day tied him to his fighting lifestyle.

"I could never really separate being a dad or being a fighter, you know? They came at the same time so you could say Rush is part of my fight team," said Holloway.

"A lot of people talk about the fight game and say 'but there's kids', but like I say, this kid was born into it.

"He's [been at] training camps since he was a baby, before he can even remember he's been hanging with me in the gym. I guess he's a little gladiator."

Media caption,

I'm right up there with the greatest - Volkanovski

Holloway says becoming a professional fighter and a dad at the age of 20 meant he had to mature at a young age.

"It helped get my priorities straight, made me tick off the right boxes and made me more focussed than anything," added Holloway.

"Look, I'm fighting for more than me, it's bigger than me now. Everything I do is for him."

Holloway's connection with Rush has earned him the nickname 'the Daddest Man on the Planet' - a title he playfully competes for with former UFC heavyweight champion Cormier.

"Me and DC [Cormier] wanted to fight but he keeps avoiding me, he avoided me so much he retired, and now he's calling fights cage-side, that's where that [nickname] came from."

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