Best and worst from UFC 245: Usman vs. Covington

#3 Best: Volkanovski finds a way

Alexander Volkanovski upset Max Holloway to become UFC Featherweight champion

The big surprise of the night came in the Featherweight title match between champion Max Holloway and challenger Alexander Volkanovski, as the Australian managed to find a way to get past the Hawaiian, edging him out on the scorecards to make himself the second Aussie champion to be crowned in 2019.

The big question coming in was how ‘Alexander The Great’ would deal with the range and combination striking of Holloway, and we quickly found out; the Aussie used some nasty leg kicks to slow ‘Blessed’ down and damage him to the point where he was unable to use his footwork and angles to really open up with his combos. The pace that Volkanovski put on through the early rounds was phenomenal, and while Holloway did fight back late on, that early work put in proved to be the difference – there was only ever one winner here.

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With the victory – to go along with his win earlier this year over former champion Jose Aldo – the Aussie is clearly the best 145lber on the planet right now. What’s next for him? Knowing the UFC’s style, probably a rematch with Holloway. If he can get through that, then he could be in for a dominant title reign indeed.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Raunak J