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LAS VEGAS >> The few thousand people who attended Friday’s ceremonial weigh-in for UFC 276 tonight at T-Mobile Arena made it clear who they wanted to win.
Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway received one of the loudest cheers, while the man who ended his title reign, and beat him again seven months later, could barely be heard over a chorus of boos as they made their fight official for tonight’s co-main event.
Both Holloway (23-6, 19-6 UFC) and Alexander Volkanovski (24-1, 11-0) made weight at 144.5 pounds early Friday morning. Hours later, they were standing face-to-face one final time and had plenty to say to each other.
“This guy told me bring the heat tomorrow,” Holloway said. “The joke is on him. I am the heat.”
Volkanovski has never lost and has won 21 consecutive fights since losing in a local show in his home country of Australia in 2013.
He ended Holloway’s 13-fight winning streak at 145 pounds with a unanimous decision in December 2019 in the same arena as tonight’s fight. In July 2020, the two fought again, with Volkanovski winning a split decision.
The Star-Advertiser scored the first fight 48-47 in favor of Volkanovski and the second fight 48-47 in favor of Holloway.
“It means everything. I’m going to hit him with the three-peat like I said,” Volkanovski said.
Just how close has this rivalry been after 50 minutes of fight time? In the first fight, one judge had Volkanovski winning all five rounds. Another judge had Holloway winning the second and fifth rounds and the third had Holloway winning the fourth and fifth rounds.
In the rematch in Abu Dhabi, the two judges who scored the fight 48-47 in favor of Volkanovski had him winning the last three rounds. The third judge had Holloway winning the first two rounds and the fifth round.
In a video posted by the UFC, the fighters could be heard going back-and-forth at the weigh-in.
Volkanovski walked up to Holloway and told him, “They won’t help you in here,” referring to the crowd that was one-sided in Holloway’s favor.
“I don’t need no help,” Holloway shot back.
“Yeah, you do,” Volkanovski retaliated.
“Your mind games don’t work,” Volkanovski said.
“I ain’t played no mind games,” Holloway replied.
Former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, who has fought six times professionally at the Blaisdell Arena, weighed in at 171 pounds for his fight against Bryan Barberena in the second bout on the main card.
Waiakea alum Brad Tavares weighed in at 185.5 pounds for his middleweight fight against Dricus Du Plessis, which will kick off the preliminary card televised on KITV beginning at 2 p.m.
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