"A lot of things are on Holloway's side" - Chael Sonnen believes Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski 3 will be a very different fight
Chael Sonnen believes a lot of factors will favor Max Holloway going into his UFC 276 title fight against Alexander Volkanovski. According to 'The American Gangster', Holloway's best weapon being his massive output will only meet competition against 'The Great'.
However, he also believes that the featherweight champion might have emptied a considerable amount of his finite reserves since he last met 'Blessed'. The 45-year-old recently said on his YouTube channel:
"Age-wise a lot of things are on Holloway's side. A lot of stuff that you are gonna get away with as an older and more seasoned fighter... We're gonna see a very different fight between Holloway and Volkanovski. One thing that we've always favored Holloway with, is his ability for pace. That he can throw more at you than your opponent. The one time that that's gonna get pushed back on is with Volkanovski..."
Watch Sonnen's YouTube video below:
Sonnen also noted that former UFC lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov was impressed with Volkanovski for staying active. While 'The American Gangster' acknowledges the undeniable benefits of fighting regularly, he also believes that a fair amount of rest is equally essential.
Holloway hasn't fought since November last year, recording his second consecutive decision win since back-to-back losses against Volkanovski. Meanwhile, the featherweight champ has recorded two title defenses since 'Blessed', most recently against Chan Sung Jung at UFC 273 in April.
Max Holloway in open to a lightweight move after trilogy fight against Alexander Volkanovski
The UFC 276 trilogy fight might be Max Holloway's last chance to regain the featherweight title. 'Blessed' recently hinted at a lightweight move up after settling business with Alexander Volkanovski. When asked about a potential move to lightweight, the former champ told Ariel Helwani:
"We’ll see what happens. Never say never, right? There’s interesting fights up there, especially with [Charles] Oliveira leading the pack and stuff. So we’ll see what happens. I can’t wait. First things first, it’s Alex, July 2. Let’s bring back balance to the world.”
Watch Holloway's appearance on The MMA Hour below:
Max Holloway expressed interest in a rematch against uncrowned lightweight king Charles Oliveira, who suffered a first-round TKO loss against him due to a freak injury back in 2015. 'Blessed' is also looking to avenge a 2013 loss to Conor McGregor, but believes the Oliveira matchup is more likely to materialise.