Tag: Max Holloway

Ahead of UFC 245 title fight, Max Holloway says Andre Fili was toughest opponent to date

Max Holloway says Andre Fili, whom he battled in 2014, was his toughest opponent to date.

LAS VEGAS – It will probably come as a surprise to many, but [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]’s toughest fight to date came well before he was a UFC champion.

In 2014, two fights into what became a 13-fight winning streak, a young Holloway (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) took on Team Alpha Male’s [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag] at UFC 172.

It was a back-and-forth battle in which Holloway likely lost the first round and was taken down numerous times, but was able to turn things around in the second. Likely 1-1 headed into the third, Holloway showed his killer instinct by latching onto Fili’s neck to submit him with a guillotine choke.

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For UFC featherweight champ Holloway, who at that point already had suffered losses to Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor in the UFC, and who lost to Poirier in an April rematch this year for the interim lightweight title, Fili was not the answer most expected.

But Holloway explained why.

“My toughest opponent to date was probably, I would say, Andre Fili,” Holloway said during Wednesday’s UFC 245 athlete panel at MGM Grand Resort & Casino. “And he’s probably the hardest puncher I faced, too. So I think Andre ‘Touchy’ Fili. That guy can crack. I know he’s a Samoan too – that’s probably why he hits so hard.”

After defeating Fili, Holloway won 11 in a row and captured the UFC interim featherweight title, then unified it. He’s yet to be beaten at 145 pounds since his unanimous decision loss to McGregor in 2013. Saturday, he looks to notch his third successful title defense when he takes on Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 245 co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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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

‘The Blessed Era’: Inside Max Holloway’s resume ahead of UFC 245

Max Holloway already has accomplished a lot in his career and has the opportunity to do more in the UFC 245 headliner.

UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] returns to the octagon Saturday for what he hopes will be his fourth consecutive title defense, this time against Alexander Volkanovski.

Since his title reign began two years ago, Holloway (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) has proven himself to be one of the most dominant champions in the sport. “Blessed” will attempt to continue that against Volkanovski (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) when they meet in the UFC 245 co-headliner, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

With another significant contest in Holloway’s career just around the corner, there’s no better time to take a closer look at everything he’s achieved to date and what records are in store if he continues his championship form at UFC 245.

General statistics

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Holloway is ranked No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA featherweight rankings and No. 7 pound-for-pound.

He is set to become the first fighter to reach 20 UFC featherweight appearance.

At 28, he becomes the youngest fighter to make 22 UFC appearances.

His 13-fight UFC winning streak that was snapped at UFC 236 is tied with Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Demetrious Johnson for the second longest in company history behind Anderson Silva (16).

His 13-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.

At 25, he became the youngest fighter in UFC history to earn 15 victories with the organization at UFC 218 in December 2017. He was also the youngest to reach 10 wins at age 23.

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His 16 victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

His 10 stoppage victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

His eight knockout victories in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

His six third-round stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied with Randy Couture and Yoel Romero for most in company history.

His eight knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are tied with Chad Mendes and Josh Emmett for second-most in divisional history behind Jeremy Stephens (11).

His seven fight-night bonuses for UFC featherweight bouts are tied with Chan Sung Jung and Yair Rodriguez for second most in divisional history behind Cub Swanson (eight).

Championship statistics

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Holloway is one of three fighters in UFC history to win the undisputed featherweight title, along with Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor.

He is one of two Hawaiian-born champions in UFC history. B.J. Penn also accomplished the feat.

His three consecutive featherweight title defenses are most current male UFC champions and second most overall behind Amanda Nunes (four).

He became the first champion in more than nine years to record a successful title defense immediately after suffering a loss when he beat Frankie Edgar at UFC 240.

He has won four of his five UFC featherweight championship fight appearances by knockout.

In-fight statistics

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Holloway becomes the third fighter in UFC history to reach 22 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown. Penn and Jones also accomplished the feat.

His 1,937 significant strikes landed in UFC competition are most in company history.

His rate of 6.61 significant strikes landed per minute in UFC featherweight competition is second highest in divisional history behind Shane Burgos (7.09).

He landed 290 significant strikes against Brian Ortega at UFC 231, the single-fight UFC record.

He landed 134 significant strikes in Round 4 a UFC 231, the single-round UFC record.

He and Ortega combined for 400 significant strikes landed at UFC 231, the single-fight UFC record.

He is the only fighter in history to land 100 or more significant strikes in nine separate UFC fights. Joanna Jedrzejczyk ranks second with seven such performances.

His total fight time of 4:07:00 in UFC featherweight competition is second most in divisional history behind Darren Elkins (4:09:04).