Alexander Volkanovski (left) and Max Holloway (right) exchange punches at UFC 251.
Alexander Volkanovski claims Max Holloway trilogy is a ‘legacy fight’ not a fight to prove the doubters wrong
Alexander Volkanovski believes his UFC 276 title defense against Max Holloway is a legacy fight.
Volkanovski and Holloway have fought twice before at UFC 245 and UFC 251 with Volkanovski winning both by decision, although the second fight was much closer and some thought Holloway should’ve gotten the nod. With that, many believe this trilogy is a chance to settle the score, but for Volkanovski he wants to put a beating on Holloway and prove he’s the better fighter.
“I’m gonna go out there and I plan on putting a beating on him this time. I really do want to (make) a statement. Obviously, getting a finish will really, you know, get that dominant win,” Volkanovsi said at a UFC press conference in Australia. “(It) will definitely help that legacy that I want, as well. … This opportunity is here and I’m gonna take it. It’s gonna be ‘and still’ and I’m gonna put on a good performance. That’s all that’s gonna happen”
Not only does Alexander Volkanovski want to make a statement, but he believes this is a legacy fight for him, as if he finishes Max Holloway it cements himself as the featherweight GOAT.
“I don’t care,” Volkanovski said. “I don’t care about that now. That’s not why I took this fight. It wasn’t just to shut them guys up. I did originally want this trilogy to shut people up, but right now, it’s not about that. This fight is gonna be a legacy fight for me, and there’s gonna be haters no matter what you do. Even after this one, if I go out there and do what I plan on doing, there are still gonna be haters. There are still gonna be people saying stuff. We can’t worry about that. I have used it all as fuel to get me where I am, but right now it’s about me and putting myself in a good position after this one.
“I plan on going out there and really putting work on him. Again, he’s a great fighter. I’ll give him a lot of credit, he’s that number one contender, he’s done great things in this division, the reason he’s even getting a trilogy,” Volkanovski added. “I think really taking him out again will really put my name out there and raise that bar a lot more for me, put me in a lot better position. So, that’s why I’m taking this fight, not to shut people up. It will taste good to shut people up at the same time, but that’s not my main drive right now. But we’re here. We’re going to silence them. But if they want to keep yapping, let ’em.”
