LAS VEGAS — Alexander Volkanovski didn’t get into MMA as some sort of blue-chip, heavily hyped prospect. After a career as a 214-pound rugby player, Volkanovski turned to mixed martial arts with zero fanfare, worldwide or in Australia, where he’s from.
He lost his fourth pro fight to Corey Nelson, now a crane operator in Sydney, in a welterweight bout.
A little more than nine years since that night, Volkanovski is just about on top of the MMA world. He turned in another brilliant performance Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 276, essentially no-hitting the great Max Holloway.