‘Stop beating my contenders’ — Alexander Volkanovski tells Max Holloway to ‘get out of my division’

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• Alexander Volkanovski had a lot of praise for Holloway after his latest win
• Yair Rodriguez has fought his way to top contender status

Alexander Volkanovski needs title challengers. The king of the featherweight division has defended his belt four times since winning it off Max Holloway in 2019. However, half those defenses have come against none other than the Hawaiian himself. That kind of repeat booking should leave ‘The Great’ with a wide open field to choose from among men he hasn’t beat. But, there’s just one problem—Holloway can’t stop getting his Road House on and bouncing guys before they can get to gold.

Yair Rodriguez, Calvin Kattar, Arnold Allen? Alexander Volkanovski hasn’t faced any of them, yet. But Max Holloway has, and he sent each one packing. In a recent interview with the Mac Life, the Aussie joked about the frustrations of having a top contender like Holloway hanging around in his division.

Alexander Volkanovski had a lot of praise for Holloway after his latest win

“Yeah, you’re right. Obviously, the more contenders you have, the better,” Alexander Volkanovski explained, speaking of Holloway fighting the top guys at 145. “He was on a ten-fight win streak—Arnold Allen—so, if he was to take out Max, you could imagine everyone screaming his name. Again, I would obviously—if this fight does happen with Yair—I would need to get over that first. But, I mean, you got some things lined up. That’s what I want. I want to be busy.

“So, having that would have been great. But, you know, Max, he’s again—I dunno. People, because they’ve seen our match, expect—you hear people be like, ‘Oh, he wasn’t himself,’ or ‘He’s fallen off.’ And you just sit there. Like, I know it’s not that. I know it was the man in front of him. And he just showed that, like, yesterday. A game opponent like Arnold Allen, and Max looked great. I’ve got nothing but praise for Max. He showed experience, he showed durability—as always—but definitely added a few more things to his game as well…

“That’s why, I remember saying to him after the last fight…I just said to him, I go ‘Get out of my division! Stop beating up my contenders!’ You know what I mean? I’m saying stuff like that to him. Because again, I know a lot of people are gonna sit there and, before last night, and ‘Oh, you know, he’s fallen off’ and all this stuff. I’m like, ‘Nah, it’s not that. Trust me.’ Wait until he fights again, because you’re gonna forget about that the next time. And he proved it last night. He looked great.”

Alexander Volkanovski went on to explain that, especially after going 3-0 against Holloway, he no longer feels like another bout with his longtime rival makes sense. But, he’s not closing the door on the idea permanently.

“You feel bad too, like, in that situation, like ‘Why does that guy gotta be here and be in my damn division?’ Alexander Volkanovski admitted. “So you can just imagine that I’m feeling just—obviously Max a cool dude, as well, great fighter. It’s just, whether you’re going to go there…it’s hard enough to do a trilogy when you’re 2-0. A lot of people were like, ‘What are you doing? Why?’ Where obviously now, the third one, it doesn’t make sense. It’s a tricky situation for Max, that’s for sure. But, I guess, what do you say? You never know.”

Yair Rodriguez has fought his way to top contender status

Fortunately, in the meantime—and despite his loss to Holloway—Yair Rodriguez has rebounded exceptionally well, and put himself in position for his chance at gold. Back at UFC 284 in February, ‘El Pantera’ faced off against Josh Emmett in the co-main event of UFC 284 with an interim featherweight title on the line. Not because Alexander Volkanovski was sitting idle. Far from it.

Volkanovski was competing in the main event that night, up a division, in hopes of capturing his second consecutive UFC belt with a bout against champion Islam Makhachev. The bid for glory didn’t work out for him, but with Rodriguez now sitting on his own piece of hardware, the champ has a ready made top contender that’s finally someone other than his Gracie Technics-trained rival.

While it seemed Alexander Volkanovski was still a little tentative on the certainty of the booking in his Mac Life interview, the fight with Rodriguez has already been scheduled. The two are expected to meet in the main event of UFC 290, on July 8th, as the crowning bout of the International Fight Week fan expo. A flyweight title fight between Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja has also been scheduled for the event.

UFC Fight Night: Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen – Fights to make

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• MAX HOLLOWAY
• ARNOLD ALLEN
• EDSON BARBOZA
• AZAMAT MURZAKANOV
• Read the rest of this article on Bloody Elbow’s Substack

It didn’t have the big highlight finish in the main event or even an amazing bloody war to go out on, but UFC Fight Night: Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen was a really thoroughly entertaining Fight Night card. In the main event, Max Holloway once again showed why he’s head and shoulders above most of his peers, with a crafty, adjustment filled 5-round decision over rising contender Arnold Allen. In the co-main, Edson Barboza stopped Billy Quarantillo’s top-15 dreams dead in their tracks with a perfectly timed knee. While down on the prelims, Bill Algeo and TJ Brown threw everything but the kitchen sink at one another for six solid minutes.

So, what the hell does the UFC do with Max Holloway off yet another win over a young contender? Who’s the next young prospect ready to try and make his name off Edson Barboza? And is there anyone left in the bantamweight top 15 that Pedro Munhoz hasn’t fought?

To answer those questions—along with several others—I’ll be using the classic Silva/Shelby fight booking methodology from the UFC of years past. That means pitting winners against winners, losers against losers, and similarly tenured talent up against one another. Hopefully, by following that model, a few of these post-UFC 287 bout ideas will actually make it off the page and into the Octagon. Now, let’s get to the fights!

MAX HOLLOWAY

It didn’t have the flair of styling on Calvin Kattar, or the boxing lesson Max Holloway gave Brian Ortega, or the violence of his fight with Yair Rodriguez, but this was a fascinating performance from the former champion in its own right. Mostly because Arnold Allen didn’t make any of the kinds of footwork and defensive mistakes that dictated so much of the action in those other, more overwhelming wins. He was always in good position, ready to answer the questions Holloway asked, and brought enough power of his own that the Gracie Technics fighter had to respect him.

The result was an intelligent and constantly shifting performance from Max Holloway. Sometimes he’d dart to one side with a lunging shot in classic Eddie Alvarez style, sometimes he jab the body and fire over the top—or land a body kick and step through to chase it with a right hand. Combinations came in fits and starts with just as many points where Holloway had to simply sit on his jab or wait for counters. This was not a fight of overwhelming offense, but one of craft and problem solving, and Holloway did so expertly.

The result is still very much the same, however. Which is that Max Holloway firmly shut out another rising contender, and put himself right back in the spot he’s been ever since Alexander Volkanovski first took his title away, treading water, looking for another chance at gold.

So what’s he gonna do? With Volkanovski fighting Rodriguez, Holloway has to be hoping for a win for ‘El Pantera’, but that would probably just mean a rematch for the Aussie, waiting out that could mean sitting for a year.

Aljo has to move up sooner or later. | IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

If Ilia Topuria beats Josh Emmett, Max Holloway could always fight him, but that’s not doing the 31-year-old any favors; to be the A-side in another non-title fight that has only half a chance of making PPV. This is the time for lateral thinking. Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo are fighting soon, both men have talked about moving up—is that a fight Holloway could get? Holloway himself has talked about trying out lightweight again, but who makes sense at 155?

C’mon Henry! ‘Quadruple C’ is right there. | IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

It’s too bad Charles Oliveira is booked, because I’d love to see Oliveira vs. Holloway 2. But if ‘Do Bronx’ beats Dariush (and if Chael Sonnen is to be believed) then he’s back fighting Islam Makhachev in October. He could fight Dustin Poirier again, but I’d much rather see Poirier vs. Gaethje 2, and both men seem to want that anyway.

The only way I can see Holloway getting an interesting name for his next fight, guaranteed, is if he takes on the loser of Sterling vs. Cejudo. If Sterling drops the belt, it seems like the perfect time to move up. If Cejudo loses his challenge, why not try see if he can put anything behind all his talk about winning belts in 3 divisions. Max Holloway vs. the Cejudo/Sterling loser is all I can figure out.

ARNOLD ALLEN

It was a game attempt from Arnold Allen. He hung with Max Holloway, never let the fight slip truly out of reach, and landed solid shots in most every round. He also just could not keep pace with the Hawaiian’s high output attack. For every left hand Allen fired, for every body kick or jab or 1-2, there were two of the same coming back at him. He knew things were in desperate straights late and tried to turn it up and go for the win. It nearly resulted in his best round of the fight, except that it also ended up getting him dropped right at the final bell.

It’s a bit of a shame that it’s taken Allen 11 years to get to this fight. It was likely a great learning experience and a chance to show off his clear quality on the big stage. Sure he didn’t get the victory, but apart from Yair Rodriguez’s few big moments in 2021, this is the best that someone’s looked in a loss to ‘Blessed’ since Frankie Edgar in 2019. Basic point is, Allen’s an elite talent and it would have been great to see him get here sooner. Fortunately, as Yair Rodriguez recently proved, losing to Max Holloway is no guarantee that a title shot isn’t still in ‘Almighty”s future.

To that end, this is actually a pretty excellent time to be coming off a loss at 145 and in the top 10. Brian Ortega, The Korean Zombie, Giga Chikadze? All of them are looking to rebound from a defeat in their last fight. Not to mention that fight between Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria. Someone’s got to lose that. Hell, Allen could even rematch Calvin Kattar if he wanted. But if Brian Ortega is riding a loss and needs a booking, that’s the fight that feels most thrilling. Arnold Allen vs. Brian Ortega would be a great way to bounce Allen right back into the spotlight.

EDSON BARBOZA

This was supposed to be Billy Quarantillo’s coming out party. Edson Barboza has been a top-flight action fighter for many years, but running on the wrong side of 35, and with a string of losses, Quarantillo had the opportunity to step in and steal the Brazilian’s thunder. Lord knows he tried.

Quarantillo pressed Barboza right out of the gate, grabbing an immediate single leg and searching for takedowns. But Barboza stuffed his shots and put him back at range, where they traded hooks and low kicks. Never a safe place to be with the former top-ranked lightweight. Quarantillo tried pressing and shooting again and again, to the point he shot right onto a step knee that knocked him six ways from sundown. A huge KO win for the American Top Team fighter, and one that keeps him firmly in gatekeeper mode at the edges of the featherweight top 15.

That could mean battles with Sodiq Yusuff or Alex Caceres, or a rising fighter like Lerone Murphy. Given all the different options, I’ll say Lerone Murphy seems like the most interesting. The Brit has top-flight physicality but the consistency of approach hasn’t been there. Is he good enough to make a run at contention? A fight against Barboza is the way to find out. Barboza vs. Murphy to see if the old lion can keep the gates once more.

AZAMAT MURZAKANOV

After this fight, Azamat Murzakanov revealed that he’d broken his left arm in the second round. Despite the injury, Dustin Jacoby still couldn’t find a way to win. Murzakanov had teed-off on ‘The Hanyak’ for two solid rounds with that arm, dropping him in both of the first two frames. Given an opportunity to get his own back in the third, Jacoby decided to spam late takedown attempts instead.

Not the best fight overall, but it’s impossible to deny Murzakanov’s fight-changing speed and power and consistency. After the bout, Murzakanov called for a booking with a top ranked opponent and it feels like he deserves a serious step up. Nikita Krylov is coming off a win. Given Murzakanov’s desire to show himself as the best Russian fighter at 205, seems like this is a good way to make the statement. Krylov vs. Murzakanov is a great bout to see which man can turn himself into a contender.

Niki Thrillz is always a good time. | IMAGO / Sports Press Photo

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‘It’s hard to use any of his fights’ – Max Holloway talks trouble training for Arnold Allen

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• Max Holloway not sure what version of Allen he’ll face Saturday
• Max Holloway doesn’t spar anymore

This Saturday in Kansas City, MO, Max Holloway will look to right the ship and reassert his place as the only clear top contender in the featherweight division. ‘Blessed’ hasn’t competed since July of last year, when he dropped his title fight trilogy bout against Alexander Volkanovski, with the Aussie picking up a dominant unanimous decision win.

With time off to heal up and get back into the flow of things, it seems like Holloway should be well prepared for his next opponent, top flight British talent Arnold Allen. Then again, maybe not.

Max Holloway not sure what version of Allen he’ll face Saturday

Always known for his careful prep and game-planning, Holloway might be having a bit of trouble in the lead up to his fight with Allen. While he sounds as focused as ever on the opponent in front of him, the 31-year-old Gracie Technics talent can’t seem to get a bead on Allen’s skill set. To hear him tell it in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, ‘Almighty’ doesn’t fight often enough—and has re-invented himself too much between fights—to know just what skills he’ll be entering the Octagon with on April 15th.

“We’ll see what happens,” Max Holloway said when asked about his future as a title contender at featherweight. “First thing first, I’ve got a tall task in front of me with Arnold Allen. He has that crazy win streak, he’s super athletic and he’s super hungry. I can’t overlook this guy. You start overlooking a guy, you fumble the bag. I’m not going to fumble the bag.”

“It’s hard to use any of his fights,” he added, speaking of Allen. “He fights like once a year—he always seems to get hurt, then comes back like a different fighter. I can go off some things he might do—I know he’s a very well-rounded mixed martial artist. There are a lot of questions going into this fight, and we’ll get the answers on Saturday.”

That can only feel more difficult given Allen’s recent performances. The BKK Fighters trained athlete looked decent, fighting a rangy striking battle last time out against Calvin Kattar. But that fight was cut short by a knee injury to the ‘Boston Finisher’, suffered at the end of the first round. Considering Kattar’s tendency for slow starts, it’s hard to know what kind of performance Allen might have been building toward.

Prior to that fight, Allen took an entirely different approach in a slobberknocker against Dan Hooker in March of last year. The 29-year-old charged out of the gate looking to trade heavy leather from the jump, got knocked down for his trouble, but overwhelmed the City Kickboxing fighter shortly afterward for the TKO win. That seems unlikely to be the kind of approach Allen could have longterm success with against Max Holloway.

Max Holloway doesn’t spar anymore

Of course, another wrinkle in the training end of things for Holloway is his past admissions that he’s stopped hard sparring during his camps altogether. Holloway announced his move away from gym wars back in 2021, in the lead up to his record setting domination of Kattar at UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar.

“You guys only get one brain. Save it,” Holloway reiterated at the post-fight presser after his Kattar win. “You guys don’t need to do it. You sparred enough. You trained enough. You know how to punch someone. You know how to slip a punch. Why even take unnecessary damage before the main game, you know? That’s just the way I think. And everybody who keep telling me that I should be training, no! I been training, baby!”

While the decision didn’t seem to hold him back any against other top contenders, it is notable that his third fight against Volkanovski was the least competitive of their bouts. Perhaps it’s worth wondering if difficulties in reading Allen’s game and a lack of full contact prep will make Holloway more cautious early in this bout as he looks to find his rhythm.

Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen takes place this Saturday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO. Alongside the featherweight main event, an action fight between Edson Barboza and Billy Quarantillo is expected for the co-main. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more news and notes.