Alexander the great back from the brink

COURAGEOUS Alexander Volkanovski has laughed off social media taunts of “theft” after twice being dropped before fighting back to win his blockbuster UFC 251 title bout with Hawaiian great Max Holloway.

The 31-year-old scored a gutsy, if contentious, split-decision win in his first title defence, in Abu Dhabi. Six months after dethroning Holloway in one of the greatest Aussie sporting upsets of 2019, the Wollongong slugger produced an incredible comeback in the rematch on Fight Island.

Despite going into the bout as favourite, Volkanovski was dropped twice in the opening two rounds — by a head kick and then an uppercut.

He rallied in the third, the closest round of the fight, before being stronger in the fourth and fifth, when he landed more significantly and scored two crucial takedowns.

One judge gave the bout to Holloway 48-47, but two more gave it to the Aussie by the same scoreline.

Several UFC fighters claimed on Twitter that Holloway should have won — former bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo even called Volkanovski a “thief” — despite all three judges having given Volkanovski the third round.

“My corner was saying it was close, and that it would be up to the third round,” Volkanovski said. “I was confident I did enough in that third round and the judges were too.”

Volkanovski said he would now be moving on from Holloway, who is regarded as the greatest featherweight ever, after taking his undefeated run to 19 fights, including all nine in the UFC.

Given the Aussie has now beaten the two men considered the greatest featherweights of all time, including a 2019 win over Brazilian Jose Aldo, his new goal, he said, was to earn the crown for himself.

“I want that GOAT status,” Volkanovski said. “I’m going to keep defending this belt, show everyone I’m the best and everyone is going to be screaming my name as the GOAT.”