Hill comes in as a commanding -300 favorite over the 38-year-old Santos (+250), according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

Hill sees opportunity in Santos fight

The 32-year-old Hill (10-1) has impressed in his UFC run, winning four of five fights. It would be five of six, if not for a no contest after he tested positive for marijuana following a TKO victory over Klidson Abreu back in 2020.

Hill suffered his only career loss last year to Paul Craig, who finished him in just under two minutes. Since then, Hill has bounced back with quick, decisive victories over Jimmy Crute and Johnny Walker. Now at No. 10 in the UFC’s light heavyweight rankings, Hill sees a path to title relevance if he can get past the aging Santos.

“This fight is exactly what I’ve been waiting for,” Hill told Sports Illustrated. “After this fight and one against another top-five guy, I’ll get my title shot.”

Meanwhile, Santos (22-10) sits in the No. 6 position in the light heavyweight rankings despite losing four of his past five fights. To be fair, those four losses have come against serious competition. It started with a split decision loss to Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title at UFC 239 in 2019. Since then, he has also lost to Glover Teixeira (the No. 1 contender in the division), Aleksander Rakic (No. 4), and – most recently – Magomed Ankalaev (No. 3).

One last ride for light heavyweight veteran

Those losses might show that Santos can no longer compete with the light heavyweight elite in the UFC. Santos sees it differently. Like Hill, he believes that an impressive win on Saturday could propel him back into the title picture one last time.

“If I stop this guy, I do believe that they probably are going to have one more fight to go again to the title,” Santos told The New York Post. “First, I need to do a good win this Saturday, a good victory, and show that I deserve something more.”

Fans should get an exciting and entertaining fight on Saturday, if nothing else. Both Santos and Hill are knockout artists: Santos has won 15 of his 22 career fights by knockout, while Hill has stopped six of his 10 victims. In the end, however, Hill believes that he can dish out enough punishment to overwhelm Santos, no matter how much the veteran is prepared to absorb.

“I’m going to finish Santos,” Hill said. “I can’t control how much he can take, but I can control how much I can put on him. So it doesn’t matter how long it takes, but I’m going to put pressure on him until he breaks.”

The post Jamahal Hill Sees Potential for Breakthrough Win vs. Veteran Thiago Santos appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

Nunes (22-5) won a unanimous decision over Pena (12-5), with judges scoring the bout 50-45, 50-44, and 50-43 in her favor.

Southpaw stance leads Nunes to clear victory

Judge Sal D’Amato gave Nunes a 10-8 score in the second round. Judge Douglas Crosby did also while adding another 10-8 score in the fifth and final round.

Nunes used a southpaw stance and improved wrestling to confound Pena. She dropped Pena three times in the second round alone, setting a record for most knockdowns in a single round by a woman in the UFC.

“The main thing was my southpaw,” Nunes said afterward. “I knew she was not going to be able to adjust to that. She’s not a striker.”

While Nunes dominated throughout, she never found a way to finish Pena. UFC President Dana White found room to critique Nunes’ performance because of this.

“As dominant as Amanda was, and she was dominant tonight – I don’t think it was close in any way, shape, or form, I thought it was a complete shutout – she still looked a little gun-shy to me,” White told reporters. “She had Julianna hurt many times, had her on crazy legs many times, and never really went in for the kill.”

Nunes once again holds two titles in the UFC, as she is also the promotion’s women’s featherweight champion.

Moreno earns interim flyweight title

Brandon Moreno reclaimed some hardware on Saturday night, stopping Kai Kara-France in the third round of their interim flyweight title fight at UFC 277.

Moreno (20-6-2) scored a TKO win at 4:34 of the third round after dropping Kara-France (24-10) with a left body kick, then following up with ground and pound to force the stoppage.

The win will likely give Moreno a chance to fight Deiveson Figueiredo for the fourth time. The two split three fights between 2020 and January 2022. The first ended in a draw; Moreno won the second to take the flyweight title at UFC 263 before Figueiredo won it back by decision at UFC 270.

“This guy right here, tonight is his night and he is the champion,” Figueiredo said via an interpreter after the fight. “I have a lot of respect for him … I want to take this fight home to Brazil.”

UFC officials initially planned for Moreno and Figueiredo to fight for a fourth time this summer. However, Figueiredo had to drop out of those plans due to injury.

Commissions updates rules on eye pokes, sleeves

The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) updated its MMA rules on Wednesday, changing the way referees will handle eye pokes going forward.

The new ABC rules will give fighters five minutes to recover after taking an eye poke, provided ringside doctors say the fighter might possibly continue. Previously, referees typically stopped the fight as soon as a fighter said they couldn’t see. Referees also had discretion on how much time to give a fighter to recover, rather than the standardized five minutes for low blows. The new rule may allow more fights to continue after eye pokes.

In addition, the ABC approved the use of soft sleeves on knees and ankle joints, a rule that was currently inconsistent across various promotions and commissions. The ABC will also publish and distribute an MMA “scoring ladder” chart to help clarify judging criteria in the sport.

The post MMA Notebook: Nunes, Moreno Win Titles at UFC 277; MMA Rules Update appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

DraftKings Sportsbook lists Nunes as the -260 favorite over Pena (+220) to reclaim her title.

Nunes: I’m ‘100 percent’ for title rematch

Nunes (21-5) came into the first fight against Pena as a more overwhelming -1000 favorite. Yet it was Pena (11-4) who claimed a decisive win over the woman who many believe is the best female MMA fighter of all time. The second-round submission sent shockwaves through the UFC, and set up an inevitable matchup.

Nunes still holds the UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship. The 34-year-old Brazilian says she’s ready to regain her status as a double champion on Saturday.

“We’re here, and Saturday I’m going to be 100 percent, and I’m going to beat her,” Nunes told reporters ahead of UFC 277. “Saturday is my opportunity to get my belt back.”

Nunes says she won’t be making any major changes for the rematch, though she wants to be better than she was last December.

“I just have to be precise with my shots,” Nunes said. “Of course, everyone makes mistakes, and I made one. But I adjusted and got everything tight and sharp. Saturday, I will show you guys I deserve my title back.”

Champion ready to prove first win was no fluke

Meanwhile, Pena is focusing on defending her new title. While there has been talk that Nunes wasn’t at 100 percent for the first fight, the champion says there will be no excuses the second time around.

“It’s frustrating,” Pena said of the ideal that Nunes was at less than her best in their first fight. “They said that she slipped on a banana peel and that’s why she lost that night. But that’s not the case, and that’s what we’re doing here. We’re going to run it back and do it again, and maybe you guys will finally put some respect on my name.”

Pena wasn’t shy in telling reporters exactly the lengths she will go to in order to retain her title.

“I’m going to punch, kick, pull her hair,” Pena told reporters. “I’m going to bite her, I’m going to gouge her eyeballs out if I have to. I’m literally going to do everything in there. Trust me when I say I am ready and willing to die. Whatever it takes, I’m going to do whatever it takes.”

Most observers agree that Nunes is the more skilled fighter in this matchup. If the fight is just about who can perform better at their best, then Nunes is the clear pick. However, cardio has become an increasingly serious issue for Nunes. Meanwhile, Pena is well-positioned to take advantage of a tired or weakened opponent. The longer the fight goes, the more Pena could enjoy an edge in athleticism.

Or, maybe, Nunes will come back stronger than ever on Saturday. At the very least, that’s what she’s saying heading into the fight.

“I will be there ready to be even better than her,” Nunes said. “She really is going to face a lioness she didn’t see last time, so I’m ready.”

The post UFC 277: Amanda Nunes Looks to Reclaim Bantamweight Crown in Rematch vs. Julianna Pena appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

Aspinall suffered a right knee injury 15 seconds into the fight, bringing a quick end to the highly anticipated fight.

Blaydes eyes new opponent despite frustrating win

Blaydes (17-3) earned a victory via injury TKO as a result. The finish marked the second straight UFC main event to end due to injury. A week earlier, Brian Ortega dislocated his shoulder in the first round, forcing him out of his fight with Yair Rodriguez.

Aspinall (12-3) had built up a perfect 5-0 record in the UFC and came out firing in the opening seconds. Blaydes countered, though none of his shots caused the injury.

“I’m frustrated. No one wants to win like that,” Blaydes told reporters after the fight. “I get the win, I hold my ranking. I get the money, but without a highlight, did it even happen?”

While Blaydes may not have enjoyed the win, he still plans to move forward just as though he had scored a highlight-worthy knockout.

“I’m not risking my ranking [by granting a rematch to Aspinall],” Blaydes said. “Heading into this fight I envisioned the winner, which is me, would be fighting the winner of [Tai] Tuivasa and [Ciryl] Gane. So I’m not going to pass up an opportunity to fight those guys when it’s right there to wait for Tom Aspinall to heal and run it back.”

Cejudo wants shot at Volkanovski

Former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo is coming out of retirement with the intention of claiming an unprecedented third title. That means taking a shot at Alexander Volkanovski in an effort to win the featherweight crown.

It’s unclear whether the UFC would give Cejudo that opportunity, especially right off the bat. Cejudo hasn’t fought since announcing his retirement following a win over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020.

Cejudo says he’s willing to fight at bantamweight, but only if it moves him closer to a showdown with Volkanovski.

“These dudes are not on my level,” Cejudo told ESPN. “And they all know it. So if I have to go down to 135 pounds [and win back] my belt to challenge Alexander Volkanovski, that’s what I have to do.”

Cejudo (16-2) won his last six fights before he retired. Meanwhile, Volkanovski (25-1) has won 22 straight bouts dating back to 2013.

Dana White’s Contender Series returns Tuesday

The sixth season of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) begins on Tuesday night with a card at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas. This season features 10 episodes with fighters attempting to impress White and earn a contract with the UFC.

While the first card initially included five bouts, the Nevada Athletic Commission canceled a bantamweight fight between Farid Basharat and Willian Souza after Souza weighed in at 146 pounds – 10 pounds over the 136 maximum for non-title fights.

That mean’s tonight’s show will go out with just four bouts. In the matchup with the most competitive odds at DraftKings, Ozzy Diaz (-120) will take on Joe Pyfar (+100) in a middleweight contest.

The post MMA Notebook: Injuries Continue to Plague UFC Main Events as Blaydes Beats Aspinall appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

The injury occurred just over four minutes into the opening round, resulting in a TKO victory for Rodriguez.

Rodriguez willing to run it back with Ortega

Both Ortega and Rodriguez came into the main event at UFC on ABC 3 with the intention of scoring an impressive win and securing a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski. Ortega rated as a -170 favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook in what most expected to be a competitive fight.

The bout started that way, with both men landing sharp punches in the opening minute. Ortega even opened a cut under Rodriguez’s right eye and managed to take him to the ground.

That’s when the injury occurred. Rodriguez threw out an attempted armbar from his back, a move that was more about the threat than a true attempt at a submission. Ortega pulled his right arm away, apparently causing the dislocation at that point.

“I don’t know how it happened,” Ortega told reporters. “I wanted to keep going. I’ve had two shoulder surgeries, and I might need a third one.”

Rodriguez agreed that this was not how he wanted to win this fight.

“I already told him we can run it back, but I would rather do it for a championship,” Rodriguez said afterward. “This was unfortunate. I was prepared to win, but that’s not the way I wanted.”

Frankie Edgar calls out Dominick Cruz for final fight

Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar says he wants to fight one more time before he retires. He also says that he has an opponent in mind.

Edgar told ESPN that he’d like to face former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, though Cruz is already fighting Marlon Vera on Aug. 13.

“He was a champion at 135 when I was a champion at 155, still both pretty much top of the division,” Edgar told ESPN. “I think that could be an interesting fight. But again, he’s got a fight coming up against ‘Chito,’ so we’ll see what happens.”

The 40-year-old Edgar (24-10-1) has lost four of his past five fights, with his last three losses coming by stoppage. His last title bout came in 2019 when he lost to Max Holloway by unanimous decision for the featherweight championship. At one point, Edgar held a 15-1-1 record while he reigned as lightweight champion.

Bellator signs Karina Rodriguez

Invicta FC women’s flyweight champion Karina Rodriguez has signed a multifight contract with Bellator. The 36-year-old Rodriguez (10-4) has won four of her past five fights.

Rodriguez will join an increasingly deep flyweight division in Bellator. Liz Carmouche (17-7) holds the women’s flyweight title, with Juliana Velasquez (12-1) and Kana Watanabe (11-1-1) among the leading contenders in the division.

The post MMA Notebook: Ortega Injury Hands Victory to Rodriguez, Edgar Wants Retirement Fight appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

Ortega comes into the fight as a -170 favorite over Rodriguez (+145), according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

Ortega focusing on strengths after disappointing loss

Last September, Ortega (15-2) nearly took the UFC Featherweight Championship off of Volkanovski. At multiple moments in the fight, he looked like he had nearly submitted the champion, only to watch Volkanovski slither away. In the end, Volkanovski won a unanimous one-sided decision. Yet those moments have bothered Ortega ever since.

“I sat there and I looked at that tape over and over again,” Ortega told reporters. “I said, ‘How the f*ck did this man get out of that choke?’ I was on top celebrating. I’ll be honest with you. I was in there, and I had him in that guillotine, and I was like, ‘I’m about to be a world champ.’ I was just waiting for the tap, and it never came.”

Ortega says that fans remind him constantly about how close he came, and that he’s tired of hearing about it. Rather than worrying about what could have been, he is now going back to focusing on his strengths – in his case, his jiu-jitsu.

“I kind of got comfortable with it. I hadn’t trained it as hard as a I used to,” Ortega said of his jiu-jitsu skills. “Then when it came down to the situation, where your bread and butter is going to get you this fight, I forgot minimal, minor details. It was a reality check for me. It was like, ‘Don’t forget where you come from and what brought you over here.’”

Striker faces grappler in stylistic matchup

Rodriguez (13-3) has yet to earn a title shot, losing a potential chance when Holloway beat him last November. This fight gives him a second chance at becoming the next man to face Volkanovski, once the champ rehabs his broken thumb.

In preparation for the fight, Rodriguez says he’s abandoned sparring and is working on technique, strength, and conditioning. It’s part of an overall approach designed to preserve his body for as long as possible.

“Everything that I do is for me,” Rodriguez told reporters. “The only motive I have to finish this fight is so I don’t have much impact on my body and I could return much quicker to competition. If I continue to take damage to the head and body, I’m going to have to keep taking time off, and I don’t have much time on my hands. I turn 30 years old this year and would like to start finishing my fights as soon as possible.”

This is a pure stylistic clash, with Ortega the grappler favored over Rodriguez the striker. Yet while Ortega says he’s going to win this fight, he acknowledges that Rodriguez can change things in an instant with his power.

“Obviously, this guy is a phenomenal striker,” Ortega said. “You’ve seen me bang it out with the best of the best. I keep trying to get better at it, but I do want to mix in more of my training and things I know I can do in that octagon.”

The post UFC on ABC 3: Brian Ortega, Yair Rodriguez Face Off in Critical Featherweight Main Event appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

Fiziev hit dos Anjos with a powerful left hook 18 seconds into the final round to finish off the fight. DraftKings Sportsbook posted Fiziev as a -190 favorite ahead of UFC on ESPN 39.

Fiziev calls out Nadal, Gaethje after win

While the finish was dramatic, Fiziev was up 39-37 on two of the three scorecards heading into the final round. He stifled dos Anjos’ attempted takedowns and landed hard strikes throughout the fight.

“My wrestling is not so bad like everyone thinks,” Fiziev said afterward. “If somebody takes me down, I’m ready to stand up. He takes me down again, I’m ready to stand up again.”

Fiziev (12-1) has gone out of his way to avoid ambitious callouts after big wins. After beating dos Anjos (31-14), Fiziev did find a big name to challenge – though not an MMA fighter.

“Now we know who the best Rafael is in the UFC,” Fiziev said in the Octagon. “Now we know, and now I want to make a challenge: Who is the best Rafael in sport? Rafael Nadal, come here.”

Later on, Fiziev made a more realistic callout.

“You know I want to fight with [Justin] Gaethje,” Fiziev told reporters after the show. “That’s a good match for you and me. If you’re ready, and you’re not scared, don’t talk shit, and let’s go.”

Fiziev is now riding a six-fight winning streak.

Volkanovski needs surgery for broken thumb

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski tweeted that he suffered a broken left thumb in his title defense against Max Holloway last week at UFC 276. He said he will need surgery to repair the injury.

Broke my thumb in the second round, but that don’t stop us!
Having surgery today and will be out for 12 weeks. Looking forward to getting back out there, thanks to everyone for the support 🙏🏽💯 pic.twitter.com/XvwLd223vL

— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) July 8, 2022

“Having surgery today and will be out for 12 weeks,” Volkanovski tweeted on Thursday. “Looking forward to getting back out there, thanks to everyone for the support.”

Volkanovski (25-1) battered Holloway over five rounds in their title fight, winning every round on all three cards. The champion said he broke his thumb in the second round of that bout.

Chris Wade blasts PFL playoff pay scale

Featherweight top seed Chris Wade sounded off on how the Professional Fighters League is paying him in the playoffs, saying he’s taking about a 30% pay cut compared to his regular-season fights.

Wade finished as the runner-up in the PFL featherweight division in 2021. He told ESPN that he earns only a fixed purse for the playoffs and that he’s considering not competing in the PFL playoffs this year if he can’t reach a new agreement with the promotion.

“It’s not sustainable for a lot of us as fighters,” Wade told ESPN. “As a fighter, you have to look at what’s worst-case scenario. God forbid, the fight doesn’t go your way. You go over to a different country, you pay taxes, paying $1,200 a pop for cornermen to fly over, for hotel rooms.”

Wade said that the PFL threatened to replace him with an alternate in 2021 if he didn’t accept the pay reduction. He told ESPN that fighters have different agreements with the promotion, with some getting bonuses or different pay scales for the playoffs. The PFL declined to comment to ESPN about the issue.

The post MMA Notebook: Fiziev Gets Late KO vs. dos Anjos, Volkanovski Out with Broken Thumb appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

Oddsmakers see the younger Fiziev as the favorite, with DraftKings Sportsbook listing him as a -190 favorite over dos Anjos (+160).

dos Anjos eying one more run at lightweight title

Since winning the UFC Lightweight Championship back in 2015, dos Anjos (31-13) has seen his fortunes rise and fall over the years. Currently, he’s back on a two-fight winning streak, beating Paul Felder by split decision in the final fight of his career, then earning a unanimous decision victory over Renato Moicano at UFC 272.

Those wins have pushed dos Anjos back up to No. 7 in the UFC’s lightweight rankings. The 37-year-old now sees a path back to a late-career title fight, provided he can get past Fiziev on Saturday.

“That’s my goal man, come in here and make a big statement and throw my name into title contention,” dos Anjos told reporters. “All the guys who are ahead of me, they’re coming from a loss or they have a loss to the champion already, besides Islam…I have to think about Fiziev and put on a great performance and throw my name out there.”

Fiziev (11-1) has won fight straight bouts since losing his UFC debut to Magomed Mustafaev back in April 2019. Two of his last three wins have been knockouts, downing Brad Riddell via spinning wheel kick last December.

Five-fight winning streak leads to major test

Now ranked No. 10 in the division, Fiziev says that dos Anjos is the perfect test to see if he can move into the lightweight elite.

“I like the challenges and this guy is a big challenge,” Fiziev told reporters. “I’m more happy because he’s a former champion and I [get to] try my skills on a guy who already [had] gold on his body.”

At just 29 years old, Fiziev promises to be the faster and more active fighter. However, dos Anjos says he’ll return that aggression in an effort to keep Fiziev under pressure, which should limit his ability to mount sustained offense.

“You can expect a fight with a lot of action,” dos Anjos told Ag Fight ahead of the bout. “My plan is to pressure right from the start. I know he’s quick and I won’t be as fast as him, but I believe the pressure I’m able to put on will make a difference. I’ll try to land some hard shots, get some takedowns and give him no room to move.”

Just as dos Anjos acknowledged his opponent’s speed, Fiziev praised the former champion as a worthy test.

“He’s got good skills and that’s why I’m more than happy because this is a really big test,” Fiziev said. “I’m excited to test for my skills.”

The post UFC on ESPN 39: Former Champ dos Anjos Battles Streaking Fiziev in Main Event appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

Volkanovski (25-1) scored an overwhelming unanimous decision victory over Holloway (23-7) in the co-main event of UFC 276 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday to retain his featherweight championship.

Volkanovski sweeps all three cards

All three judges scored the bout 50-45 for Volkanovski, with almost all media observers also giving the champion a clean sweep of all five rounds.

Volkaovski did damage throughout the fight, cutting Holloway on his left eyebrow in the second round, then bashing his nose in the fourth. Yet Holloway hung tough, even as he failed to land much effective offense throughout the fight.

“Max Holloway is an absolute beast,” Volkanovski said afterwards. “I had to get him out of here. I knew I’m the best. I needed to remind myself.”

Holloway took to social media to praise his rival and cede victory to the champion.

I'm still up 2-0 on knockdowns for trilogy. Prob gonna need a 4th to settle this. 😂 Just playing. Congrats to my brother @alexvolkanovski . Go get that 55 strap. You earned the shot. You're #1 P4P right now. pic.twitter.com/5lUNWZVbRA

— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) July 3, 2022

Holloway referenced the 155-pound title in the lightweight division. Volkanovski has said he’s interested in moving up and winning a second title. That championship is currently vacant, though Charles Oliveira is the titleholder in all but name.

Adesanya holds off Cannonier

Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya easily out-pointed Jarod Cannonier in the main event of UFC 276, though the crowd found The Last Stylebender’s performance far less thrilling than Volkanovski’s.

The judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46, 50-45 in favor of Adesanya, who used his length to land jabs and kicks at will against Cannonier at distance for five rounds.

Cannonier (15-6) couldn’t get much offense going in return against Adesanya (23-1). With the challenger unable to turn things into a slugfest, Adesanya was content to do enough to win the fight while taking few risks.

That led to fans booing throughout, especially in the fight’s later stages. Adesanya admitted it wasn’t his best performance, but criticized the crowd’s reaction nonetheless.

“They’re all drunk. They don’t know what real fighting is,” Adesanya told reporters. “If it’s not a show-out, spectacular performance, it’s like ‘Ah, he’s not even that good.’ Jared knows I’m a good fighter. He knows I’m a great fighter, and I gave him the same credit.”

Alex Pereira could challenge Adesanya next after knocking out Sean Strickland on Saturday. Interestingly, Pereira has two wins over Adesanya – in kickboxing.

Cerrone announces retirement after loss

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone announced his retirement from mixed martial arts after losing via submission to Jim Miller on Saturday at UFC 276. The 39-year-old Cerrone (36-17) won 23 times in his UFC career, tying him for the second-most ever in the promotion.

While Cerrone had said he planned to fight two more times after Saturday, he said his feelings had changed.

“I don’t love it anymore,” Cerrone said. “I’m going to be a movie star, baby.”

In a post-fight press conference, Cerrone expressed relief that he was walking away from MMA.

“This sport is crazy. It’s the highest highs and the lowest lows,” he said. “I feel like the biggest sigh of relief I’ve ever had in my life. Like, ‘Ho-ha, we’re done.’ Now it’s off to the next chapter. I’ll be back. I’ll come hang out and watch fights, talk to the young generation about all the things I should’ve, would’ve, could’ve, should’ve done, and maybe I’ll get an itch in two years.”

The post MMA Notebook: Volkanovski, Adesanya Defend Titles at UFC 276; Cerrone Retires appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

DraftKings Sportsbook sees Volkanovski as the -195 favorite heading into the fight, with Holloway fetching +165 as the slight underdog.

Volkanovski wants ‘dominant win’ vs. Holloway

Volkanovski (24-1) has enjoyed a run of 21 straight wins, including a perfect 11-0 record in the UFC, since an early career loss provided the only blemish on his record. Since winning and then defending the featherweight title against Holloway, he has beaten Brian Ortega by decision and stopped Chan Sung Jung in the fourth round to cement his reign at champion.

Given how close the first two fights with Holloway were – many fans gave Holloway the win in the rematch – the Australian champion says he wants to solidify his legacy by convincingly beating Holloway the third time around.

“I plan on putting a beating on him this time,” Volkanovski told reporters in Australia. “I really do want to [make] a statement. Obviously, getting a finish will really get that dominant win. [It] will definitely help that legacy that I want, as well.”

Holloway (23-6) has won his last two fights since his two losses to Volkanovski. He picked up two wins by decision, beating both Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez to force himself back into the title picture. For Holloway, this trilogy fight provides an opportunity to beat an opponent he already thinks he did enough to earn a win against twice before.

“You guys always talk about who has more to lose,” Holloway told ESPN. “Respectfully, I think I have more to lose every single fight I go in there. I always say I’m 0-0, and this fight is no different. I’m taking this fight like it’s my first and it could be my last. We don’t know what happens after this. We don’t know if I’ll ever fight again.”

Third decision likely in tactical battle

The two men engaged in a heated press conference ahead of UFC 276, with the vocal Las Vegas crowd backing Holloway. The American from Hawaii took shots at Volkanovski throughout, much to the delight of his fans.

“You guys are going to find out Saturday night,” Holloway said. “This guy is talking about a threepeat or something – this guy don’t even got three highlights in the UFC.”

It’s hard to see a stoppage in this fight, and both men will likely try to find small edges based on what they’ve seen in the last two bouts. Volkanovski may have the slight edge in skill, especially with his wrestling ability, but Holloway may look to simply overwhelm him with volume to earn a clear decision.

Either way, Holloway doesn’t want anyone to get too carried away with this trilogy when it comes to its place MMA history.

“Not at all,” Holloway said, answering questions over whether the winner on Saturday would become the greatest featherweight of all time. “Do we forget the man Jose Aldo? The man got eight title wins. I have five title wins. Until someone can beat his records as a champion with the eight title wins, then they can consider themselves the GOAT in featherweight.”

The post UFC 276 Odds: Max Holloway Gets Third Shot at Alexander Volkanovski in Featherweight Title Fight appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.