Alex Volkanovski confident he can beat Max Holloway after UFC 240

Max Holloway successfully defended the UFC featherweight title with a unanimous decision win at UFC 240, but his opponent Frankie Edgar didn’t make it particularly easy for him. Alex Volkanovski, the man widely expected to get the next crack at Holloway, was cage-side for the fight, and says he scored it more closely than the judges did.

“I actually thought that was a really close,” Volkanovski told MMA Fighting. “Sitting on the sidelines there, I thought it was a bit closer than what the judges scored, 50-45. I thought Frankie might have won some rounds. Definitely competitive I thought.”

In fact, after watching Frankie Edgar and Max Holloway battle for five rounds, Alex Volkanovski feels more confident than ever that he can capture the UFC featherweight belt.

“I’m actually comfortable a little bit out of range as well. I like to pick my times when to come in,” Volkanovski continued “I’m very comfortable in the pocket as well. He likes to really pour it on and you’ve seen when he’s really in your face, really trying to suffocate you, and give you that claustrophobic feeling but Frankie didn’t really crumble there and I know I won’t and I know I can handle that pace and I know I’m very powerful.

“So if you want to come at me with that sort of game plan, I feel I’m pretty explosive and powerful,” Volkanovski continued. “I feel I can do a lot more damage and again, I’ve got my wrestling background. Max is a true champion. I enjoy watching him fight but I want to get that fight. I want it.

“I just want to work my game and I believe I can do that.”

Do you think Alex Volkanovski could be the man to end Max Holloway’s seemingly unshakable reign at featherweight?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 7/29/2019.