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#4. Chad Mendes
En route to his title fight, the Australian was slated against former title-challenger Chad Mendes. It was a fight that really got fans of the sport excited. Two fighters of similar style and goal trying to build their name off of each other.
'Money' and 'The Great' lived up to the hype, as this fight was an absolute slugfest for as long as it lasted. Volkanovski dealt with the most adversity he'd had to deal with thus far into his career as the power of Mendes found the Australian's chin.
Volkanovski is tough, though. He worked his way through the hot water and was able to keep the pace that Mendes was perhaps not ready for. Late into the second round, the former title challenger succumbed to 'The Great' and his powerful shots.
#3. Max Holloway 1
A title was slated against the reigning champion and arguably the best featherweight to ever fight, Max Holloway. The challenger from Australia was able to show 'Blessed' some weapons that he didn't quite have the answer for.
The most important part of these weapons was the leg attack. Kick after kick, this seemed to compromise the striking and movement of Holloway. Overall, the attack and gameplan of the challenger made the champion severely uncomfortable in this attempt to keep hold of his championship belt.
Many thought that 'Blessed' would lay claim to the title for years to come, considering that he's still amongst the younger side of the roster. Volkanovski made him look stale and thwarted most of any success Holloway could've found in this title defense. As five rounds went by, the City Kickboxing fighter didn't show any signs of slowing down until the final minutes, which is very impressive considering his competition that night.
