Which name comes to mind when you think of the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC? Well, one of the names that definitely stands out is that of UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. The UFC champ made his UFC debut back in 2016 and has been on a path of success ever since. He is widely regarded as one of the best fighters in the promotion currently.

Winning the championship is the easy part! Retaining the title and fending off other title-hungry fighters consistently is what sets you apart from the others. Volkanovski is a fighter who has, time and again, defended his title and has shown the world that he truly is one of the best featherweight fighters in the world. On that note, let’s walk down memory lane and take a look at some of Volkanovski’s most glorious title defenses.

Alexander Volkanovski’s title defenses

Alexander Volkanovski won the UFC featherweight title against Max Holloway at UFC 245. Next, he faced Holloway in a rematch, and defeated his opponent via split decision at UFC 251. His next title defense was against Brian Ortega at UFC 266. By this time, Volkanovski had gotten exponentially better as a fighter. Ortega did the best he could but ultimately fell to ‘The Great’. Volkanovski won by unanimous decision.

Jung Chan-sung (The Korean Zombie) was next in line to try his hand at taking the featherweight title away from Volkanovski. However, at UFC 273, Volkanovski proved his superiority by scoring a TKO win at the 0:45 mark of the fourth round and retained his title once again. Three months later, Max Holloway decided to give it his all and go for another shot at UFC 276.

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However, Volkanovski proved that he is a better fighter by far and a more deserving champ as he won his fight against Max Holloway by unanimous decision. His last title defense was against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290. ‘The Great’ scored a KO victory in the third round. This makes a total of 5 title defenses of Volkanovski. Now, he’s up for the sixth time he defends his title. This time, his opponent is the formidable Ilia Topuria.

Many believe ‘El Matador’ to be Volkanovski’s biggest challenge yet. The two will clash at UFC 298 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. There’s been a lot of heat developing as the fight approaches with ‘Volk’ getting in better and better mental shape. ‘The Great’ looked shattered after his most recent Islam Makhachev loss but now, it would appear he’s put himself through camp and spent enough time with his family to recover from it all. Will he win yet again?

Is The Australian the best UFC featherweight?

Alexander Volkanovski has been champion since 2019 when he snatched the title away from Max Holloway.  First of all the way ‘Blessed’ has come after Volkanovski on two separate occasions to reclaim his title alone show his determination as a fighter and a former champion. But ‘Volk’ won all the fights. Does that make him the best champion to ever grace the featherweight division? That’s a controversial statement at best. Not when the likes of Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor are in the conversation.

While Volkanovski has held the title for well over three years and 1500 days, Aldo was champion for about five years up until he succumbed to the mind games and performance of ‘The Notorious’. Conor McGregor too was one of the most entertaining double champ when he reigned with the featherweight title on his shoulder.

Volkanovski is certainly in the conversation when it comes to the best ever. He’s defeated Aldo before and hasn’t lost a single featherweight fight since winning the belt. However, perhaps a year or two more would prove whether he can stand the test of time or not.

Ilia Topuria- Alexander Volkanovski’s toughest challenge yet?

At UFC 298, the Australian fighter is going to face his toughest challenge yet – Ilia Topuria. An undefeated featherweight, Topuria has completely dominated all of his previous opponents. His last fight against top contender Josh Emmett was one of his most impressive performances. He still holds a brilliant undefeated professional record of 14-0. If that isn’t enough to prove his prowess, who knows what is.

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With an ideal mix of striking and grappling, Topuria has everything you would want in your favorite fighter. The odds are pretty competitive and fans are considering this Volkanovski’s greatest obstacle yet. Can he come through? We will find out at UFC 298.