Can Alexander Volkanovski take the final step?
Volkanovski has been tremendous in his UFC career to this point. He’s executed a near-flawless climb up the featherweight ladder, a smart build of increasingly tough opponents on increasingly bigger shows. In his last three fights, he passed through the gate kept by Darren Elkins; sent Chad Mendes into retirement with a brutal beating; and went into Jose Aldo’s backyard and earned a convincing win.
But then, you could build a similar case for Brian Ortega’s path to a featherweight title shot, and Holloway absolutely picked him apart when the cage door shut on their title fight last year.
So it really is this simple: Is Volkanovski the next one, or will he have the misfortune many other excellent fighters have faced over the years, where they are cursed to be a strong fighter who happens to share a division with a generational talent?
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