Alexander Volkanovski cut UFC opponent Max Holloway so bad it looked like he attacked him with knives
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- Alexander Volkanovski bludgeoned Max Holloway in their trilogy bout Saturday at UFC 276.
- The Australian fighter beat Holloway so bad the Hawaiian wore a mask of blood.
- Volkanovski is fast becoming one of the very best fighters in all UFC.
LAS VEGAS — Alexander Volkanovski cut UFC opponent Max Holloway so bad it looked like he attacked him with knives.
The two featherweight fighters, who have both been in the conversation for the greatest 145-pounder of all time, concluded their three-bout rivalry Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Throughout the iconic series, Volkanovski has seemingly only gotten better as he left Holloway with a mask of blood to wear after a grueling 25-minute slobberknocker.
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Volkanovski's stand-up game was a masterclass.
He pressed, his striking was crisp, and he countered when necessary.
The tough and stocky Australian showed that he had great movement, Octagon intelligence, and threw combinations.
Holloway, for so many years, has shown that he is a level above the featherweight division.
However, Volkanovski won the rivalry against Holloway and showed that he is a level above the popular Hawaiian.
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Volkanovski landed 204 of his 377 strike attempts for a 54% accuracy, while limiting Holloway to 161 from 335 for a 48% accuracy.
Numerous photos from the fight show the extent Volkanovski's striking had on Holloway's face as he suffered ugly cuts throughout the contest that bled all over the champion's back when they were grappling against the fence.
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Volkanovski, meanwhile, barely looked like he had been in a fight as he took far less damage, having pitched a shut-out to earn a unanimous decision win with scores of 50-45 (x3).
With victory, Volkanovski retained his UFC featherweight championship and advanced his pro MMA record to 25 wins (12 knockouts, three submissions, and 10 decisions) against one loss.
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Earlier in the show, Julija Stoliarenko appeared to snap Jessica-Rose Clark's arm with a violent, 42-second submission win in their women's bantamweight bout.
Then, UFC's violent striker Dricus du Plessis left his opponent's face looking a bloody mess, and the beating even appeared to change the color of Brad Tavares' hair during a wild International Fight Week brawl.
Jalin Turner showed against Brad Riddell that he may be America's next combat sports superstar as he scored a brilliant, 45-second submission win.
Kickboxing maestro Alex Pereira produced the best knockout at UFC 276 when he separated Sean Strickland from his senses with a brutal, first-round finish.
And, finally, in the main event of the evening, Israel Adesanya retained his UFC middleweight championship with a decision win over dangerous fighter Jared Cannonier.