UFC 276 has been announced, and we’ll finally see our Aussie champion return, in Alexander Volkanovski, back in the octagon to defend his belt and finish the trilogy series against Max Holloway. Meanwhile, Kiwi champion, Israel Adesanya defends his title against Jared Cannonier.
Volkanovski has a strong claim to being the greatest featherweight fighter of all time, according to coach Frank Hickman. The champion returns to the octagon in what could be a career defining victory.
A quick turnaround from his fourth round TKO victory against “The Korean Zombie” Jung Chan-Sung back in April, after the Aussie headed almost immediately back into a new pre-fight camp.
“Volk doesn’t have to prove anything for me, and I’m sure his teammates and coaches agree, because we know he’s the best featherweight of all time,” Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA’s Hickman – who cornered Volkanovski for his last two fights in the US – told the Post in Phuket.
“But this is just more writing the history books for him, it’s what he wanted to do. He jumped right around and turned back into camp, so my hat’s off to him.
“He’s a true professional in and out of the cage, the same as Israel [Adesanya, UFC middleweight champion], with a great coaching staff behind them, great gym, great following, great support for their communities.”
Former champ Holloway was comfortably outclassed in the first fight, a unanimous decision victory for Volkanovski in Las Vegas in December 2019.
But some fans – and even UFC president Dana White – scored the second bout in July 2020 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi in the Hawaiian’s favour, despite the champ getting the nod from the judges in a split decision. Volkanovski (24-1) has since gone on to successfully defend the belt against Brian Ortega and Jung – but the doubters remain.
“I would think so,” Hickman said, when asked if a third win would finally shut those people up. “But there’s always a lot of naysayers and doubters that you have to prove wrong.
“Like Volk said, this fight excites him, because people still say Holloway’s a great, great fighter, and that he’s better than Alex.
“So that gets Alex up in the morning, that gets him motivated, gets him going. He’s excited and looking forward to the challenge.”
The other major fight on the card see’s the middleweight champion from across the pond, Kiwi native, Israel Adesanya, defend his belt for the fifth time. Although, Adesanya would tell you he’s actually heading into his sixth defence.
Most particularly because he’s still carrying the same piece of UFC hardware that he got when he won the interim middleweight title in a bout against Kelvin Gastelum back in 2019—before going on to unify the belt against Robert Whittaker later that same year.
“It’s the same belt. That’s why I said to people that I’m a five-time defending champion. F-ck what they said about four. This is just common sense... When the champ, who couldn’t show up to work many times [Whittaker]—who just pulled out recently as well, funny that—I’m the champ in the meantime. I beat him. That counts as a ruby on my belt. So my belt has five rubies. I don’t give a f-ck what the media says or what the commission says, I’m a five-time defending champion because I know who the f-ck I am.”
Jared Cannonier has a plan, to neutralize the champion.
"There's gonna be a lot of technique being employed. It's gonna be a very technical - it's gonna be a striker's delight, if you will. But it ain't gonna be no striking match. This is an MMA fight," Cannonier told MMA News.
"So, I don't plan on playing his striking game. He goads everybody into it. He confuses them, but then next thing you know, they're in there getting juiced. They didn't know they were playing right into his hands.”
Two huge fights, plus many more. Don’t miss UFC 276!