UFC 245: Holloway vs Volkanovski Preview

UFC 245: Holloway vs Volkanovski Preview

By Claudia Peterson

UFC 245 will take place tonight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The co-main event will be a featherweight championship bout between current champion Max “Blessed” Halloway (21-4) vs. Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski (20-1).

The current live odds are a steady -180 Holloway and +150 Volkanovski, and the fight seems like a very competitive matchup. At their young age (Max is 28, Volkanovski is 31) both men are still considered veterans of the sport.

Holloway was on a 13 fight winning streak before running into Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier when he went up a weight class to challenger for the interim title back in July of 2019 at UFC 236 in Atlanta.

After that, Holloway returned to featherweight and successfully defended his title against Frankie Edgar in a dominant decision at UFC 240. He holds notable wins over Jose Aldo (twice), Anthony Pettis, Cub Swanson and Brian Ortega. Holloway’s advantage is in his height and the caliber of opponents he has faced, but Volkanovski seems the faster striker and holds a 2.5 inch reach advantage. Holloway will look to get closer and closer and add volume as the rounds progress as has been effective for him in the past.

Volkanovski is currently on a 17 fight win streak and is undefeated in his UFC run. He is also a 3 weight champion across various promotions in Australia. With kickboxing and wrestling in his background, Volkanovski seems like the more well rounded fighter.

However, he will have to keep up with Holloways’ constant mixing of strikes, knees and elbows. Volkanovski may keep things on the feet and go for the takedowns if necessary in the later rounds, if he needs to, but it is not likely that he will be able to take Holloway down. Volkanovski seems the heavier hitter, and Holloway will have to be careful if he is willing to take shots as he tries to make Volkanovski’s fighting space small.

Both fighters have excellent cardio and will be able to go a full five rounds if necessary, but not without overwhelming one another in the process. This fight promises to be active and exciting.

Prediction: Holloway by TKO