Tag: Max Holloway

Twitter reacts to Alexander Volkanovski’s title win over Max Holloway at UFC 245

See the top Twitter reactions to Alexander Volkanovski’s title victory over Max Holloway in the UFC 245 co-main event.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] began a new era in the featherweight division on Saturday when he claimed the title from [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] in the UFC 245 co-headliner.

Volkanovski (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) pushed his remarkable winning streak to 18 fights with a unanimous decision win over Holloway (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) in the pay-per-view co-main event, which took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Volkanovski’s title-winning effort against Holloway at UFC 245.

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http://twitter.com/MMAjunkie/status/1206081769998561280

http://twitter.com/ChasSkelly/status/1206085928755847168

‘UFC 245 Embedded,’ No. 6: ‘You’re going to the hospital tomorrow night’

One last behind-the-scenes look at the stars of UFC 245.

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+.

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

On Episode 6 of UFC 245 Embedded, featherweight contender Alexander Volkanovski trains at the UFC Performance Institute accompanied by middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Everyone on Friday morning makes weight at the UFC 245: Official weigh-ins. Afterwards featherweight champion Max Holloway retreats to his room to eat a meal, and get “cupcake wasted.” Then it’s a final flex-and-faceoff for the crowd at the ceremonial weigh-ins. 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 ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs: Fighters meet up one final time

All the fighters competing at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night met up one last time on Friday.

LAS VEGAS – Friday marked the final time the competitors for the highly anticipated UFC 245 cross paths before fight night, as the ceremonial weigh-ins are the final bit of official business before the card.

Three title fights top the event, including the main event between welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]; featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]’s defense against [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]; and bantamweight champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]’ matchup with [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag].

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UFC 245 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. It airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Watch the UFC 2445 ceremonial weigh-in face-offs in the video above.

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UFC 245 video: All business between Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski in final faceoff

Max Holloway faced off with the fourth man to challenge for his featherweight title, Alexander Volkanovski, at UFC 245 ceremonial weigh-ins.

LAS VEGAS – The UFC’s most active male champion, [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], returns to action on Saturday at UFC 245 as he meet his latest featherweight title challenger in the form of streaking contender [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag].

After both men successfully made weight on Friday morning, Holloway (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) and Volkanovski (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) closed out promotional duties with a final staredown at UFC 245 ceremonial weigh-ins.

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It’s been a respectful build between Holloway and Volkanovski in the lead-up to the pay-per-view co-headliner, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass. Things were no different as they came face-to-face one last time.

Watch the video of the final Holloway and Volkanovski staredown from UFC 245 ceremonial weigh-ins above.

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UFC 245 predictions: Who’s picking upsets in the three title fights?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 245 main card, which features three title fights in Las Vegas.

Usman
vs.
Covington		 Holloway
vs.
Volkanovski		 Nunes
vs.
de Randamie		 Aldo
vs.
Moraes		 Faber
vs.
Yan
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2019: 207-123 (63%)		 covington2019
Covington
(54%)		 holloway2019
Holloway
(76%)		 nunes2019
Nunes
(84%)		 moraes2019
Moraes
(66%)		 yan2019
Yan
(61%)
Simon Head
@simonhead
2019: 123-65 (65%)		 usman2019
Usman		 holloway2019
Holloway		 nunes2019
Nunes		 moraes2019
Moraes		 yan2019
Yan
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2019: 118-65 (64%)		 covington2019
Covington		 holloway2019
Holloway		 nunes2019
Nunes		 moraes2019
Moraes		 yan2019
Yan
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2019: 212-118 (64%)		 covington2019
Covington		 holloway2019
Holloway		 nunes2019
Nunes		 moraes2019
Moraes		 yan2019
Yan
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2019: 210-120 (64%)		 usman2019
Usman		 holloway2019
Holloway		 nunes2019
Nunes		 moraes2019
Moraes		 yan2019
Yan
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2019: 210-120 (64%)
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 covington2019
Covington		 volkanovski2019
Volkanovski		 nunes2019
Nunes		 moraes2019
Moraes		 yan2019
Yan
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2019: 207-123 (63%)		 covington2019
Covington		 holloway2019
Holloway		 nunes2019
Nunes		 moraes2019
Moraes		 yan2019
Yan
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2019: 207-123 (63%)		 usman2019
Usman		 holloway2019
Holloway		 nunes2019
Nunes		 moraes2019
Moraes		 yan2019
Yan
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2019: 205-125 (62%)
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 covington2019
Covington		 holloway2019
Holloway		 nunes2019
Nunes		 aldo2019
Aldo		 yan2019
Yan
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2019: 203-127 (62%)		 covington2019
Covington		 volkanovski2019
Volkanovski		 derandamie2019
de Randamie		 moraes2019
Moraes		 yan2019
Yan
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2019: 107-70 (60%)		 covington2019
Covington		 holloway2019
Holloway		 nunes2019
Nunes		 moraes2019
Moraes		 yan2019
Yan
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2019: 197-133 (60%)		 usman2019
Usman		 holloway2019
Holloway		 nunes2019
Nunes		 moraes2019
Moraes		 yan2019
Yan
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2019: 134-104 (56%)		 usman2019
Usman		 holloway2019
Holloway		 nunes2019
Nunes		 moraes2019
Moraes		 faber2019
Faber
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2019: 173-157 (52%)		 usman2019
Usman		 volkanovski2019
Volkanovski		 derandamie2019
de Randamie		 aldo2019
Aldo		 faber2019
Faber

The UFC is back in Las Vegas for its biggest pay-per-view card of the year with three title fights atop the bill.

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+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

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In the main event, welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) puts his belt on the line in a grudge match against former interim champ [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC). Usman nearly is a 2-1 favorite at the sports books. But our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers see it the other way, just barely. Covington has the slightest possible edge at 7-6 in our picks.

In the co-main event, featherweight champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) defends his title against [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC). Holloway is about a -175 favorite and he has a 9-4 lead in the picks.

The third title fight on the card sees dual women’s champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 11-1 UFC) put her bantamweight title up against former featherweight titleholder [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC). Nunes is a big favorite at more than 3-1, and she’s got a sizable 11-2 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) makes his first move to bantamweight to take on [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (22-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC). Moraes is more than a 2-1 favorite, and he’s got a huge 11-2 picks advantage.

And to open the main card, bantamweight [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is the biggest favorite at the event by far against [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (35-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC). Yan is around a -550 favorite, and he has a big 11-2 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Covington (54%), Holloway (76 percent), Nunes (84 percent), Moraes (66 percent) and Yan (61 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

‘UFC 245 Embedded,’ No. 5: Ngannou says America will be great again – with an Usman win

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

On Episode 5 of UFC 245 Embedded, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman receives support from heavyweight Francis Ngannou. Featherweight champion Max Holloway gets a haircut from his longtime barber, and opponent Alexander Volkanovski does an outdoor photo shoot. Bantamweight Hall of Famer Urijah Faber feels fresh ahead of a bout in which he’s the underdog. The stars of the night’s three title fights attend Ultimate Media Day for interviews and faceoffs. Bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes and Germaine de Randamie have kind words for one another ahead of their championship bout, but the opposite is true for Usman and Colby Covington. UFC 245 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the three title fights taking place Saturday December 14.

Also see:

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UFC 245 main card salaries: Usman, Covington get same $500,000 disclosed pay

Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington will make the same disclosed salaries for their welterweight championship grudge match at UFC 245.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] will make the same disclosed salaries for their welterweight championship grudge match at UFC 245.

Current titleholder Usman (15-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) and challenger Covington (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) are both contracted to receive flat $500,000 salaries for Saturday’s pay-per-view headliner, which 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+.

MMA Junkie received the UFC 245 payout sheet on Friday from the Nevada Athletic Commission, which sanctions the event.

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The co-main event title fight also will pay out flat rates. Reigning featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) has a deal that pays $350,000. Challenger, [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is set to receive $250,000, win or lose, in his first UFC title fight.

Dual-UFC champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 11-1 UFC) is on a bit of a different deal. The Brazilian, who puts her women’s bantamweight title on the line, is set to receive $350,000 to show with a $100,000 win bonus attached. Her challenger, [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC), nets a flat rate of $100,000.

Other notable salaries from the UFC 245 main card include former longtime UFC champ [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who makes $400,000 to show with a potential $50,000 win bonus. His opponent, [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (22-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC), makes $110,000 with the chance to double his money with a $110,000 win bonus.

UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (35-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC), who opens the main card, will receive a flat rate of $250,000. That’s significantly more than his opponent [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who makes $66,000 to show with another $66,000 on the hook if he wins.

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Now, the usual disclaimer: The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC 245 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC oftentimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials will hand out additional $50,000 bonuses for “Performance of the Night” and/or “Fight of the Night” honors.

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

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8 burning questions heading into UFC 245 and its three title fights

MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle walks you through the key storylines on the loaded UFC 245 card.

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The UFC’s 2019 pay-per-view schedule ends with a bang Saturday night. Three championships will be on the line at UFC 245. All three matchups feature worthy challengers, and all have the potential to be great fights. 

UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] takes on former interim titleholder [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] in a matchup of competitors with a combined UFC record of 20-1. Featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] is facing his most serious challenger in Australia’s [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]. And women’s champ-champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] puts her bantamweight belt on the line in a rematch with former featherweight titleholder [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]. 

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Throw in a pair of consequential bantamweight matchups in [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] and[autotag] Petr Yan[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] and a smattering of interesting items lower on the card, and it looks like we’re in for one hell of a show Saturday night. 

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+.

Will Colby Covington’s fake shtick lead to his realest moment?

Yeah, we know the score by now. You either love Covington (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) and his MAGA shtick, or you hate it.

Others who have trash talked their way into getting attention and eventually the big fights, like Conor McGregor and Chael Sonnen, walk a fine line, sometimes crossing it but rarely trampling it. Covington’s banter borders on parody, turning off a whole lot of people, while others like him exactly for what his character represents.

Underlying Covington’s trolling, however, has been one rock-solid fact: He is a tremendous fighter. One who won several fights in a row before gaining any recognition. He’s a world-class MMA wrestler, a cardio freak, and an underrated striker. He’s made fighters as great and stylistically varied as Rafael dos Anjos, Demian Maia, and Robbie Lawler look silly, and did so in consecutive fights.

You don’t have to like Covington. But you’re deluding yourself if you think his phoniness outside the cage has anything with what he does inside the cage. Covington wouldn’t be in this spot if he wasn’t the real deal, and as difficult as it might be for many to swallow, Saturday night could very well be his crowning moment.

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UFC 245: Predicting who will win all three championship fights

UFC 245 is stacked.

Saturday night’s UFC 245 card, with three championship fights at the end, is the definition of stacked.

But those aren’t the only fights that feature big names stepping inside the Octagon. Jose Aldo, Uriah Faber, Mike Perry, and Matt Brown all have fights either on the main card or the prelims.

So yeah, it’s going to be a fun night in Las Vegas.

Let’s focus on the three championship fights, though. Amanda Nunes (bantamweight), Max Holloway (featherweight), and Kamaru Usman (welterweight) will all be looking to hear Bruce Buffer yell “and still” after their fights but each should face some good challenges. Well, maybe not Nunes.

Amanda Nunes vs. Germaine de Randamie

Nunes, with wins over Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm, and Valentina Shevchenko, is without question the GOAT. Her last two wins – over Cyborg and Holm – ended in the first round and I expect that to happen again Saturday night. Germaine de Randamie has won five straight coming into this fight… but Nunes is just on a different level. Pick: Nunes, 1st round KO.

Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski

This has all the makings for being the “Fight of the Night.” Holloway has been a phenomenal champion, beating Jose Aldo twice, Brian Ortega, and Frankie Edgar. He can do it all and inside the Octagon and he wants to be known as one of the greats to have ever done it. Volkanovski will present a hefty challenge. He hasn’t lost a professional fight since 2013 and his last win was a decision over Aldo. I think he’ll give Holloway all the champ can handle but I think Holloway wins via decision. Pick: Holloway, unanimous decision. 

Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington

This one could easily be a “Fight of the Night” contender, too. If you’re a UFC fan you know this one has gotten personal even before they agreed to the fight. This will be Usman’s first title defense after beating Tyron Woodley last March. Covington’s schtick leading up this one has been so cringy and awful, but underneath it he’s a great fighter who can do a lot of things very well. This should be a great matchup, one I can’t wait to watch. And I think we get a new champ, even though I hate his schtick. Pick: Covington, unanimous decision.Â