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. 

Alexander Volkanovski: Jose Aldo was tougher style matchup than Max Holloway

Alexander Volkanovski sees the argument Jose Aldo was a more difficult puzzle to crack than Max Holloway will be.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] acknowledges the stiff test he has in front of him Saturday night.

He greatly respects his UFC 245 opponent, UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]. There’s no question. But just because Volkanovski (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) views Holloway (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) as a difficult task, doesn’t mean he sees him as his most challenging stylistic matchup to date.

At a UFC 245 media day held Thursday, Volkanovski told MMA Junkie he believes his most recent fight against [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] in May was probably a trickier matchup than Holloway, stylistically-speaking.

“I’ve always been confident,” Volkanovski said. “But them last couple of fights really did boost my confidence even more… To completely change my type of style just to adapt to a fighter (against) one of the greatest of all time. I was able to do that and get it done. That just really proved to me that we’re on another level.

“That just made me be like, ‘Man.’ I reckon stylistically, usually you would say that was a harder fight for me than even Max, when you look stylistically. But I mean, Max is a great champion.”

It is seemingly undeniable Holloway is a great champion. He’s defended his 145-pound strap three times, in largely dominant fashion, against Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, and most recently Frankie Edgar.

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Holloway has won 14 of his most recent 15 outings entering UFC 245, a stretch dating back to January 2014. Holloway’s lone loss came at lightweight by decision against former interim champ Dustin Poirier. So how does Volkanovski plan on beating Holloway on fight night?

“Obviously with my last one, I had to play it a little more safe and I had to work around things,” Volkanovski said. “With this fight, I don’t. He’s going to put himself in positions where he needs to try and break me, right? He needs to work his game. He’s going to try to land is jabs on the outside. He might do what he did with Frankie, but I’m not going to be so easy.

“… We’re both going to try to break each other’s rhythm, but at the same time we’re both not going to let each other take a backwards step. If we’re going backward, we’re doing it on purpose… Mate, you’re going to see fireworks. Again, he’s going to put himself in positions where he thinks he can maybe get a hand ahead, but he’s going to run into a brick wall.”

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 pre-event facts: Inside the fifth title triple header in UFC history

The best facts and figures about the UFC 245 main card, which features a Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington welterweight title main event.

The UFC’s final pay-per-view event of the year takes place Saturday with UFC 245, which goes down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and features arguably the most loaded lineup of the year.

For just the fifth time in company history, three championship fights are on the docket at a single event, meaning the landscape of the sport has the potential to alter significantly by the end of the weekend.

Check below for all the pre-fight facts behind the UFC 245 main card, which features [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) vs. [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) for the welterweight title in the main event; [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) vs. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) for the featherweight strap in the co-main event; and an [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 11-1 UFC) vs. [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) women’s bantamweight title rematch in the featured bout.

* * * *

Main event

Usman enters the event on a 14-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman is one of four fighters in UFC history to start 10-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.

Usman is the only welterweight in history to start his UFC career with 10 consecutive victories.

Usman’s 10-fight UFC winning streak is the third longest active streak in the company behind Nurmagomedov (12) and Tony Ferguson (12).

Usman’s 10-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman’s 10-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the second longest in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (12).

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Usman has earned eight of his 10 UFC victories by decision.

Usman absorbs just 1.6 significant strikes per minute in UFC welterweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.

Usman outlanded Tyron Woodley by a margin of 336-60 (+275) in total strikes at UFC 235, the record for a UFC championship fight.

Usman landed 192 body strikes at UFC 235, the single-fight UFC record.

Usman has completed 42 takedowns in his 10 UFC appearances.

Usman has defend 100 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC competition, which includes 17 total.

Usman’s 12 takedowns landed against Rafael dos Anjos at the TUF 28 Finale are tied for second most in a single UFC welterweight fight. Luigi Fioravanti holds the record with 13 at UFC 82.

Covington is one of three interim UFC welterweight champions in company history. St-Pierre and Carlos Condit also accomplished the feat.

Covington’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied with Santiago Ponzinibbio for the third longest active streak in the division behind Usman (10) and Leon Edwards (eight).

Covington attempted 541 total strikes against Robbie Lawler at UFC on ESPN 5, the single-fight UFC record.

Covington attempted 515 significant strikes at UFC on ESPN 5, the single-fight UFC record.

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Covington has landed 58 takedowns combined in his 11 UFC appearances.

Covington’s 58 takedowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are most among active fighters in the weight class.

Covington lands 5.69 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC welterweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.

Covington’s 12 takedowns landed at UFC on FOX 22 are tied for the second most in a single UFC welterweight fight. Fioravanti holds the record with 13 at UFC 82.

Co-main event

Holloway owns or is on the verge of owning several key UFC records, which can be viewed in his complete career stat sheet.

Volanovski enters the event on a 17-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Volkanovski’s five-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is the fourth longest active streak in the division Holloway (13), Zabit Magomedsharipov (six) and Arnold Allen (six).

Volkanovski has outlanded his seven UFC opponents by a 493-167 margin in total strikes. His strike differential of +3.36 per minute is the highest in UFC featherweight history.

Volkanovski lands 58.2 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

Volkanovski has landed two or more takedowns against five of his six UFC opponents.

Featured bout

Nunes is one of four simultaneous two-division champions in UFC history. Daniel Cormier, Conor McGregor and Henry Cejudo also accomplished the feat.

Nunes is one of seven fighters in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes. Cormier, McGregor, Cejudo, St-Pierre, B.J. Penn and Randy Couture also accomplished the feat.

Nunes’ four consecutive UFC title defenses are most among current champions.

Nunes’ six victories in women’s UFC title fights are tied with Ronda Rousey and Joanna Jedrzejczyk for most in company history.

Nunes has defeated six fighters who once held an undisputed UFC belt, tied with Jon Jones for the most of any active fighter in the organization.

Nunes competes in her 12th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Nunes’ 11 victories in UFC competition are tied with Jessica Andrade for most for any female in company history.

Nunes’ 10 victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Nunes’ nine-fight UFC winning streak in women’s competition is the longest in company history.

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Nunes’ eight-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Nunes has earned 16 of her 18 career victories by stoppage. That includes nine of her 11 UFC wins.

Nunes’ eight stoppage victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.

Nunes’ seven first-round finishes in UFC/Strikeforce women’s bantamweight competition are second most in combined divisional history behind Rousey (seven).

Nunes’ six knockout victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Nunes’ three knockdowns landed in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Nunes’ 14-second knockout of Julia Budd at Strikeforce Challenger 13 is the fastest knockout in UFC/Strikeforce women’s history.

Nunes’ victory at the 2:36 mark of Round 5 at UFC 224 marked the second latest stoppage in a women’s UFC title fight – behind only Miesha Tate’s win at the 3:30 mark of Round 5 vs. Holly Holm at UFC 196.

Nunes’ four fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s bantamweight fights are second most in divisional history behind Rousey (seven).

De Randamie was the inaugural UFC women’s featherweight champion. She accomplished the feat at UFC 208 in February 2017.

De Randamie is one of six European-born champions in UFC history. McGregor, Jedrzejczyk, Andrei Arlovski, Michael Bisping and Bas Rutten also accomplished the feat.

De Randamie can become the eighth fighter in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes. She could join Nunes as the only females to accomplish the feat.

De Randamie competes for the second time in 2019, marking multi-fight appearances inside a calendar year for the first time since 2013.

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De Randamie is 2-0 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in September 2017.

De Randamie’s four-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is tied with Ketlen Vieira for the second longest active streak in the division behind Nunes (eight).

De Randamie’s three knockout victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Nunes (six).

De Randamie’s 16-second knockout of Aspen Ladd at UFC on ESPN+ 16 is tied with Rousey’s finish at UFC 175 for the fastest knockout in women’s UFC history.

De Randamie defends 88 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC women’s bantamweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Irene Aldana (93.5 percent).

Remaining main card

[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (22-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is a former WSOF (now PFL) bantamweight champion. He defended his title a record six times.

Moraes is 17-2 in his past 19 fights dating back to December 2011. The only defeats in that stretch came against Raphael Assuncao, a loss he avenged, and Cejudo.

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) drops to the bantamweight division for the first time after spending his entire career at featherweight.

Aldo is 3-4 in his past seven fights after going undefeated for more than a decade.

Aldo is the only two-time UFC featherweight titleholder in history and one of eight overall in company history to have two reigns in a single weight class.

Aldo’s 18 UFC/WEC featherweight victories are the most in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s 15-fight UFC/WEC winning streak before losing to McGregor at UFC 194 is the second longest in the combined history of the two organizations behind Anderson Silva (16).

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Aldo’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s 11 knockout victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are most in combined divisional history.

Aldo defends 91 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s nine fight-night bonuses for UFC/WEC featherweight bouts are second most in combined divisional history behind Cub Swanson (11).

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]’s (13-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is tied with Marlon Vera for the longest active streak in the division.

[autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (35-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC), 40, is the oldest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Faber is the only UFC Hall of Fame fighter to earn an octagon victory after being inducted. He accomplished the feat after coming out of retirement to win at UFC on ESPN+ 13.

Faber is the only fighter in UFC history to go 0-4 in title fights.

Faber competes in his 17th UFC bantamweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Faber’s total fight time of 3:29:50 in UFC bantamweight competition is the most in divisional history.

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Faber’s 11 victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Assuncao for second most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (12).

Faber’s 12 victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied with Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz for most in combined divisional history.

Faber’s seven stoppage victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Dillashaw (eight).

Faber’s 12 submission victories in UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE competition are tied for third most in the combined company history behind Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (13) and Charles Oliveira (13).

Faber’s six submission victories in UFC bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Faber’s 26 takedowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are the second most in divisional history behind Merab Dvalishvili (27).

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

UFC 245 media day faceoffs: Colby Covington tells Kamaru Usman there’s still time to pull out

The athletes from Saturday’s stacked UFC 245 lineup came face-to-face at media day.

LAS VEGAS – All six title-fight participants took part in today’s UFC 245 media day, and MMA Junkie was on the scene.

The media event took place at Red Rock Casino & Resort in Las Vegas. T-Mobile Arena hosts Saturday’s event, which airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

All 26 competitors from the 13-fight card were in attendance, but of course the main focus was on the athletes from the three scheduled championship bouts, who came face-to-face for the first time during fight week.

In the main event, UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) attempts to defend his belt against [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in a long-awaited grudge match. And in the co-main event, UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) puts his belt on the line against [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC). Also on the card, [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 11-1 UFC) faces [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) for the UFC women’s bantamweight title.

The faceoffs were largely cordial, but Covington did have some words for Usman, which UFC president Dana White revealed moments later on Instagram Live.

Check out the video above for UFC 245 media day faceoff highlights.

‘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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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