Tag: Alexander Volkanovski

‘UFC 245 Embedded,’ No. 4: Colby Covington boasts about increased KO power

Follow the stars of UFC 245 during fight week in the latest episode of “UFC Embedded.”

The UFC’s 12th and final pay-per-view of the year takes place Saturday with UFC 245, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series returns to get you ready.

UFC 245 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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In the main event, UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] attempts to defend his belt against [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] in a long-awaited grudge match. And in the co-main event, UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] puts his belt on the line against [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]. Also on the card, UFC women’s bantamweight champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] meets challenger [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag].

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The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the big-name stars at the top of the card. Here’s the UFC’s description:

On Episode 4 of UFC 245 Embedded, UFC Performance Institute hosts a series of athletes getting ready for Saturday: featherweight title challenger Alexander Volkanovski, bantamweight Marlon Moraes and welterweight title challenger Colby Covington. “The Great,” “Chaos” and bantamweight Germaine de Randamie answer fan questions at a UFC 245 athlete panel, followed by the event’s three beltholders: welterweight Kamaru Usman, featherweight Max Holloway and double champ Amanda Nunes. UFC 245 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the three title fights taking place Saturday December 14. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV

Also see:

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Alexander Volkanovski: If Max Holloway comes forward, he’s going to fall into my game at UFC 245

Alexander Volkanovski thinks Max Holloway’s pressure is going to work against him in their UFC 245 title fight.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is looking to meet [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] in the middle.

Volkanovski (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) takes on UFC featherweight champion Holloway (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 245 for the title, and with both fighters known for marching their opponents down, Volkanovski thinks Holloway’s pressure will work to his advantage.

“I’m going to approach things a little bit different,” Volkanovski said during Wednesday’s UFC 245 athlete panel at MGM Grand Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. “Just the things that he does so well, and what’s worked for him so well in his past fights, are just things that I don’t believe are going to work as well with me. Obviously he’s got his punching in volume, his gas tank, and all these sort of things. These are things that I don’t believe are big threats to me. Obviously, I’ve got the gas tank. If he really wants to come forward at me and try to break me, he’s just going to fall into my game, and I’m too powerful for him to force that sort of game plan on me.”

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Unbeaten in the UFC, Volkanovski will look to snap Holloway’s 14-fight winning streak at 145 pounds. Few have been able to stop Holloway from imposing his will, but one man who was recently able to is former UFC interim lightweight champ Dustin Poirier, who hurt Holloway early and found a lot of success throughout the five rounds.

That fight will serve as a bit of a blueprint for Volkanovski.

“Max’s game is that pressure – come forward, punch in volume. But Poirier was able to obviously stand his ground, and it was hard to really get Poirier on the back foot,” Volkanovski said. “Poirier was sometimes able to get Max on the back foot and capitalize on that – his fitness actually held up. He did slow down, but he was able to still bring some of them last rounds. It was a close fight, but again, like I’ve seen that if you don’t gas, which I know I won’t, you’re going to do well. But I believe I’ve got a lot of the tools.”

Holloway was able to rebound from his loss to Poirier with a unanimous decision win over Frankie Edgar in July. He was the much larger man and was able to neutralize Edgar’s wrestling.

But despite the height discrepancy, Volkanovski will actually have a reach advantage in their fight.

“This game’s evolving, and I’ve evolved with it,” Volkanovski said. “I believe that. I know a lot of people are going to say, you know, obviously Frankie’s got the wrestling and all that sort of stuff, which he does. But I’ve got that power, and I really know how to put it all together. And a lot of people are going to say that I’m going to have problems with the range and stuff like that. Believe me: When it comes to range, I’m very comfortable there.”

UFC 245 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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UFC 245 breakdown: Is Alexander Volkanovski the man to unseat Max Holloway as champ?

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC 245 co-headliner between Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski.

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MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the co-main event for UFC 245.

UFC 245 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Max Holloway (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC)

Staple info:

  • Height: 5’11” Age: 28 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 69″
  • Last fight: Decision win over Frankie Edgar (July 27, 2019)
  • Camp: Hawaii Elite MMA (Hawaii)
  • Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing
  • Risk management: Excellent

Supplemental info:

+ UFC featherweight champion
+ Regional MMA titles
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt
+ 10 KO victories
+ 2 submission wins
+ 3 first-round finishes
+ Building pace and pressure
+ Superb feints and footwork
^ Attacks off angles/manages distance well
+ Excellent variety of shot selection
+ Improved wrestling ability
^ 83 percent takedown defense rate
+ Deceptively counters clinches/grappling
^ Strikes well off of the breaks
+ Underrated ground game
^ Slick submissions in transition

Alexander Volkanovski (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC)

Staple info:

  • Height: 5’6″ Age: 31 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 71.5″
  • Last fight: Decision win over Jose Aldo (May 11, 2019)
  • Camp: City Kickboxing (New Zealand)
  • Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
  • Risk management: Excellent

Supplemental info:

+ Regional MMA titles
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt
+ National wrestling gold medalist
+ 11 KO victories
+ 3 submission wins
+ 7 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Improved striking ability
^ Dangerous right hand
+ Strong inside of the clinch
^ Dirty boxing, elbows, knees
+ Superb wrestling ability
^ Takedowns, transitions, scrambles
+ Excellent top game
^ Aggressive ground striker

Point of interest: Battles of builders

The co-main event for UFC 245 features a fantastic matchup for the featherweight title between two men who build offense in different ways.

An acclaimed wrestler-turned-rugby player, [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] initially stepped onto the scene as a come-forward fighter who typically approached the pocket like an oncoming juggernaut from his compact stance. A natural athlete, Volkanovski shows little issue when having to crash distance with his patent kicks and crosses, strikes that have been typically set up off of prodding jabs.

However, since moving to City Kickboxing in New Zealand, Volkanovski seemingly has sharpened his feints, footwork and overall striking fundamentals, measuring and moving in space more smoothly and on balance than before. The 32-year-old title challenger will now change up his combination approach, doing things like leading with kicks or finishing off combinations with jabs.

Volkanovski also has taken some of the feinting swagger from his City Kickboxing stablemates, showing or throwing away certain shots to land others with a bigger picture in mind. Nevertheless, as effective as Volkanovski’s newfound approach has been (especially in his last fight), he’ll have to be extra careful to not leave any proverbial bread crumbs behind that the building champion can use to follow him home.

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Enter [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag].

A Hawaiian striking machine who stormed the UFC scene (as one of the promotion’s youngest signees, no less), Holloway, who was already improving from fight to fight, turned his biggest corner after his 2015 encounter with Cub Swanson.

Since then, we have witnessed a technical evolution unfold from Holloway, who embraces his creativity and range with a diverse arsenal of attack. Whether Holloway is shifting his stance mid-combination or adjusting his timing on the fly, the current featherweight king makes for a hard read on the feet.

When feeling in stride, the 28-year-old looks to pay off his previous bodywork by punctuating his presence with everything from spinning sidekicks to digging left hooks to the liver. Coupled with his ability to counter effectively from either stance, Holloway hypothetically can take a fight in many different directions.

That all said, it’s the building nature of the champion’s game that makes him stand out from the rest of the UFC stable. Embodying a fighter archetype that I like to refer to as “a builder,” Holloway not only will build in his output, but his understanding of the fight’s traffic will also increase as he intelligently takes tools from his opponent and incorporates them into his game.

For example, against fighters like Ricardo Lamas and Frankie Edgar, Holloway ate a healthy dose of leg kicks throughout each battle from a statistical standpoint. However, in looking closer at the exchanges, you will see Holloway steadily get a read on the attacks – evading, checking and countering the kicks by the end of the contest.

Still, offensive volume – no matter how clever – comes with a price. And with both men showing a propensity to eat right hands, I will be curious to see who can take advantage of that in this contest.

Next point of interest: Close quarters combat

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‘UFC 245 Embedded,’ No. 3: Kamaru Usman gets a kick out of Colby Covington’s shtick

“It’s like the virgin at school that’s frontin’ for his friends like, ‘Yeah, I get chicks, bro.'”

The UFC’s 12th and final pay-per-view of the year takes place Saturday with UFC 245, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series returns to get you ready.

UFC 245 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

In the main event, UFC welterweight champion[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] attempts to defend his belt against [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] in a long-awaited grudge match. And in the co-main event, UFC featherweight title challenger [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] puts his belt on the line against [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]. Also on the card, [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] faces [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] for the UFC women’s bantamweight title.

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The third episode of “Embedded” follows the big-name stars at the top of the card. Here’s the UFC’s description:

On Episode 3 of UFC 245 Embedded, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has harsh words for both modern art and his opponent, Colby Covington, who experiences Vegas with a mall massage. Featherweight title challenger Alexander Volkanovski and champion Max Holloway cross paths at fight week checkin. Double champ Amanda Nunes and fiancé Nina Ansaroff get festive for a holiday photo. UFC 245 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the three title fights taking place Saturday December 14. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV

Also see:

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UFC 245: pre-fight facts

Check out the key facts, figures and footnotes for UFC 245, which features 3 title fights, Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington, Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski and Amanda Nunes vs. Germaine DeRandamie.

Check out the key facts, figures and footnotes for UFC 245, which features 3 title fights, Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington, Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski and Amanda Nunes vs. Germaine DeRandamie.

‘UFC 245 Embedded,’ No. 2: A trip through nature with ‘Hiker Holloway’

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the big stars of UFC 245, which features Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington in the main event.

The UFC’s 12th and final pay-per-view of the year takes place Saturday with UFC 245, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series returns to get you ready.

UFC 245 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

In the main event, UFC welterweight champion[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] attempts to defend his belt against [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] in a long-awaited grudge match. And in the co-main event, UFC featherweight title challenger [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] puts his belt on the line against [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]. Also on the card, [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] faces [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] for the UFC women’s bantamweight title.

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The second episode of “Embedded” follows the big-name stars at the top of the card. Here’s the UFC’s description:

On Episode 2 of UFC 245 Embedded, welterweight title challenger Colby Covington enjoys the familiar faces and fond memories at a Las Vegas wrestling tournament. Featherweight title challenger Alexander Volkanovski cruises through his workout but struggles with a hotel mini-fridge. Featherweight king Max Holloway leads his team on a hike at Red Rock Canyon and demonstrates his questionable tracking skills. Double champ Amanda Nunes does media hits and sightsees in LA. UFC 245 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the three title fights taking place Saturday December 14. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV

Also see:

UFC 245 fight breakdown: Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski

Check out the MMA junkie’s John Morgan and Dan Tom’s analysis and predictions for the UFC 245 main event between Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski.

Check out the MMA junkie’s John Morgan and Dan Tom’s analysis and predictions for the UFC 245 main event between Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski.

Spinning Back Clique: UFC 245 preview, UFC DC reaction

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 6 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” react to what transpired at UFC on ESPN 7 and preview what’s to come this Saturday at UFC 245.

Show rundown:

  • [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] at UFC DC. He was getting mostly dominated and on his way to a guaranteed decision loss before a huge right hand knocked out Overeem (and shattered his lip) with four seconds remaining in the fifth round. Rozenstruik remains undefeated at 10-0 overall and 4-0 in the UFC. But after that performance, are we buying or selling him as a legit contender at heavyweight?
  • [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] delivered a pair of painful groin’ kicks to [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] at UFC DC, then went on to score a TKO victory – but not before referee Dan Miragliotta advised Struve to continue fighting. Since when should a referee be offering fighters advice during a fight?
  • [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] made history as the first woman to step inside the octagon back in 2013. More recently, she competed for a UFC title again earlier this year but lost to flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Carmouche, 4-2 in her last six fights, was released last Friday by the UFC – get this – while she was in Washington D.C. doing a promotional tour with troops for the promotion. What do we make of her unceremonious exit, and what’s next for her?
  • It’s UFC 245 fight week, which means we’re on the verge of finally seeing [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] clash with [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], who’s been promoting the heck out of this showdown, but has he gone too far?
  • Speaking of UFC 245, there are two other big title fights on the card: [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] and [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] 2. Which challenger is more likely to win? And which “old dog” on the main card is more likely to turn back the clock: [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] or [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 6 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

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Video: ‘UFC 245 Countdown’ for Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski

Did you miss the debut of “UFC 245 Countdown,” or just want to watch it again? Check out the co-main event preview now.

Did you miss the debut of “UFC 245 Countdown,” or just want to watch it again? Check out the main event preview now.

The segment takes a special look at the featherweight fight between [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) and [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC), which will let the winner claim he’s the best 145-pounder in the UFC.

UFC 245 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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“Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.

Check out the entire UFC 245 fight card below:

  • Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington – for welterweight title
  • Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski – for featherweight title
  • Amanda Nunes vs. Germaine de Randamie – for women’s bantamweight title
  • Jose Aldo vs. Marlon Moraes
  • Urijah Faber vs. Petr Yan
  • Geoff Neal vs. Mike Perry
  • Irene Aldana vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Omari Akhmedov vs. Ian Heinisch
  • Matt Brown vs. Ben Saunders
  • Kai Kara-France vs. Brandon Moreno
  • Chase Hooper vs. Daniel Teymur
  • Jessica Eye vs. Viviane Araujo
  • Oskar Piechota vs. Punahele Soriano