UFC 251: Alex Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway 2

Alex Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway

Anton Tabuena: This is yet another intriguing fight that I would’ve preferred to wait on when both are able to be at their best, but we are in the middle of a pandemic, and this is MMA’s new normal. With the small gap between their fights along with suboptimal fight prep, how much can Holloway actually change to overcome things? He definitely has to address those leg kicks better, and maybe they already know where they went wrong in the first fight, but Volkanovski will have learned a lot from that contest too. I just wish this was done under different circumstances, because it’s a very technical affair on the feet, where small reads and adjustments can go a long way. It’s like us being treated to a high level chess match, but with competitors forced to play with a bunch of missing pieces. Oh well, heart says Holloway, head says Volkanovski. Alex Volkanovski by Decision.

Mookie Alexander: I think leaving aside Holloway’s lack of a proper fight camp, Volkanovski just appears to be a bad matchup for him. Not only can Volkanovski match Holloway’s volume, he can stem Max’s offense with leg kicks and follow up with punches afterward. Volkanovski’s speed and power advantage is very noticeable and his cardio is outstanding. If Holloway is to win I think he has to win with his jab and go to the body early, and he may still just get countered to pieces because of how fast Volkanovski is. Alex Volkanovski by unanimous decision.

Zane Simon: There’s a chance that Holloway comes into this fight with a firm feeling for style and pace already established and picks up where he left off in round 5 of their first bout. A chance. But if he hasn’t been sparring even the odds on that are pretty slim. Volkanovski just did too good a job stunting Max’s rhythm early. And the tools he used likely don’t have to change much for him to do it again. Alex Volkanovski by decision.