UFC 267: Volkanovski & Adesanya contend for Australia’s biggest ever card
The UFC is returning Down Under in 2023 but who should headline the card? VOTE HERE WITH YOUR PICK.
UFC
Don't miss out on the headlines from UFC. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Max Holloway reckons Australia’s greatest fighter now, and maybe ever, has a massive head.
That, and less than three UFC highlights.
Which right now, he can say.
But after Sunday?
Hmmm, maybe not.
Regardless, none of it seems to worry the champ.
“Hey, I know you’re trying to get me,” Alexander Volkanovski laughed here in Las Vegas on Thursday as, somewhat surprisingly, his Hawaiian rival attacked with a volley of verbal taunts during an a heated UFC 276 press conference.
“But you’re a cool dude.
“So I’m gunna let it pass.
“You know you love me.”
Which may be true.
Maybe not.
Doesn’t matter.
Point is, while Volkanovski occasionally received a smattering of boos through Thursday’s presser for doing little more than having continually beaten one of the most popular fighters in UFC history, his following — and standing — is unmistakably growing.
Not only Stateside either, but back home in Australia.
Where UFC president Dana White is returning in 2023.
All of which brings us to that newest $64 question of Aussie sport: Who headlines what is suddenly shaping as the biggest card in UFC history?
Incredibly for a country where the Octagon was still partly banned as recently as five years ago, Australia now boasts three superstars who could all be in title fights by the first third of next year – Volkanovski, Tai Tuivasa and Robert Whittaker.
Elsewhere, UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya has also suggested his hand will be raised when it comes to headlining Australia’s next big show, with the New Zealander keen to surpass his own UFC crowd record of 57,127.
As first revealed by The Daily Telegraph in June, UFC executives are currently in discussions to bring a Pay-Per-View event to Australia in the first third of next year.
When it comes to a host city, Perth is the betting favourite given it’s still owed an event after being stripped of UFC 251 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But as for who White picks to headline?
Right now, the clubhouse leader has to be Volkanovski – Australia’s No.1 fighter across all combat sports.
While the UFC featherweight champ has yet to headline on home soil, he will effectively be fighting for that honour — as well as his division’s GOAT crown — in a hyped trilogy bout against Holloway.
When the pair squared off inside T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, the challenger seemed unusually amped.
“I’m known for taking damage, and he’s known for not giving it,” Holloway said early on.
To which the Aussie simply cackled and replied: “That’s why you can’t spar anymore, you get punched in the head too much.”
Elsewhere, Holloway also suggested his rival was “talking three peats (when) he doesn’t even have three highlights in the UFC” and then later made a crack at the size of Volk’s head.
Regardless, if the Wollongong fighter wins Sunday, know his management will immediately open discussions for that Australian headliner — which could include going after a second gold strap, and ‘champ champ’ status, in the UFC lightweight division.
Which is a huge fight.
But so too is anything involving Adesanya, who insists he could pack the seats of an Australian footy stadium even without the help of famed arch rival Whittaker.
But what about with him?
Already, the pair have combined for a UFC record crowd on the same day as the 2019 NRL grand final – with a trilogy fight undoubtedly able to set a bigger live gate again.
While Whittaker has now lost twice to the Aucklander, the closeness of their last fight has him convinced of victory in any next showing between the pair.
Yet while Whittaker-Adesanya III would be huge, another options remains the 120kg smokey who could pip them all to headline Australia’s biggest pay-per-view event — Mt Druitt heavyweight Tai Tuivasa.
Apart from having risen up to be one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster, Bam Bam is also fighting No.1 contender Ciryl Gane in Paris this September.
While Tuivasa will start as an underdog against the hometown hero, a win could pitch him into a heavyweight title fight, which the UFC have previously taken on the road to Brazil, Mexico and Japan.
Set to be the first ever UFC event on French soil, the card will also see Whittaker face Italian Mervin Vettori for the tag of No.1 middleweight contender.
Volkanovski too is developing a strong following among Australian sports fans despite having spent his past four years and seven bouts fighting internationally.
The Holloway showdown also represents what could be his fourth title defence on foreign soil.
While the Covid pandemic has kept the UFC out of Australia, the champ said recently the time to return has arrived, pointing to the fact Aussie boxer George Kambosos recently held his world lightweight title fight against American superstar Devin Haney in front of 40,000 fans in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, Adesanya told The Daily Telegraph his preference was to headline an event at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast or Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium. Sydney obviously remains in the mix too given all contenders bar Adesanya hail from the area.
More Coverage
Originally published as UFC 267: Volkanovski & Adesanya contend for Australia’s biggest ever card
Join the conversation
The dodgy paperwork that launched UFC career of Aussie star
Growing up, Cody Haddon saw things ‘that a kid shouldn’t be exposed to’. A path to prison could easily have been the one he walked down, but the rising Australian UFC star had other ideas.
Read more
Watch: Incredible moment Tafa found out his opponent pulled out
Junior Tafa had spent the morning talking about how he was going to knock out Chris Barnett, without knowing a vicious cyclone had derailed his plans. Watch his exclusive reaction to the news here.
Read more