Did Alexander Volkanovski rob Max Holloway of the title at UFC 251? Exploring the trilogy between two featherweight greats

Alexander Volkanovski has come out on top in all three encounters against Max Holloway.

Their third and last showdown happened in July 2022 at UFC 276. Before this match, Volkanovski had already secured two wins, both by decision, in 2019 and 2020.

However, their second bout was wrapped in controversy, as many people thought that the judges' scorecards didn't do justice to Holloway's performance and that he should have been declared the winner.

The reigning UFC featherweight champion faced off against Holloway for their second clash during UFC 251 in July 2020. In the rematch, 'The Great' secured a split decision win to reclaim the title. The victory was determined by the judges, with Mark Collett and Clemens Werner both scoring 48-47 in favor of Alexander Volkanovski, while judge David Lethaby scored 48-47 in favor of Max Holloway.

Check out the official scorecard below:

Credits: UFC

In the initial two rounds, Max Holloway dominated Alexander Volkanovski in both volume and power of strikes, even scoring knockdowns. However, Volkanovski managed to press 'Blessed' against the cage in the third round, though his attempts were met with a knee from the Hawaiian. Throughout the fight, Volkanovski attempted a variety of tactics, including takedowns and counters.

As the fourth round came to a close, both fighters showed the toll of the intense battle on their faces. The second bout demonstrated a clear shift from the first, with the Australian showcasing a more confident approach. The fight concluded with Volkanovski scoring a late takedown, potentially influencing the outcome in his favor.

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Alexander Volkanovski ends title shot discussions for Aljamain Sterling after UFC 292

Following Sean O'Malley's second-round TKO victory over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292, Alexander Volkanovski dismissed any discussions of Sterling moving up to challenge him for the 145-pound title.

Volkanovski shared his thoughts on the UFC 292 main event on his YouTube channel, stating that Sterling won't be receiving a title shot following his recent loss:

"Oh yeah, that's not happening. He could've, you never know, if he would've had a big win, he could've took [the] spot, you know?"

Check out Volkanovski's comments below (from 4:56):

For context, 'Funk Master' had been suggesting a potential shift to the 145-pound category for a while. However, following his defeat to 'Sugar', Sterling expressed the need to re-evaluate his intentions.