Now the former rugby player turned mixed martial artist will take the featherweight championship home to Australia after handing Holloway his first defeat at 145 pounds since Conor McGregor beat him all the way back in 2013.
Volkanvski earned the unanimous decision win with scorecards reading 48-47, 48-47 and 50-45 following a smart strategy that saw him chip away at Holloway’s foundation with leg kicks for the better part of all five rounds.
“This is what we do. I’ve got the good fight IQ and I got the job done. I’m going to stay champion for a long time,” Volkanovski said afterwards.