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Alexander Volkanovski will defend his undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title against the man he dethroned when he rematches Max Holloway in the UFC 251 co-main event this Saturday on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Neither man has fought since Volkanovski took a unanimous decision from Holloway in December, when he landed 157 significant strikes against the Hawaiian at UFC 245. All three judges scored it for Volkanovski: 48-47, 48-47 and 50-45. Even at the time, a sequel seemed inevitable.
As Volkanovski and Holloway make final preparations for their rematch, a look at some of the numbers that have brought them to this point:
31: Years of age for Volkanovski, who was born on Sept. 29, 1988 in Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia.
18: Consecutive victories posted by Volkanovski since he suffered his only professional defeat as an undersized welterweight in 2013. Corey Nelson felled him with a head kick and follow-up punches in the third round of their Australian Fighting Championship 5 encounter.
3: Volkanovski wins by submission. He put away Greg Atzori with a guillotine choke on Feb. 1, 2014, disposed of Jai Bradney with a rear-naked choke on July 26, 2014 and dispatched Yusuke Yachi with a triangle choke on Dec. 4, 2015.
75: Leg kicks landed by Volkanovski in his first encounter with Holloway, a UFC record for a featherweight bout. He shattered the previous mark (43), which was established by Cub Swanson in a unanimous decision over Artem Lobov at UFC Fight Night 108.
6: Regional championships won by Volkanovski before he ascended to the top of the 145-pound weight class in the UFC. He won featherweight titles in the Australian Fighting Championship and Pacific Xtreme Combat organizations, struck lightweight gold in Roshambo MMA and Wollongong Wars and captured welterweight belts in Roshambo MMA and Cage Conquest.
28: Years of age for Holloway, who was born in Honolulu on Dec. 4, 1991.
1,766: Significant strikes landed by Holloway as a UFC featherweight. It ranks first on the promotion’s all-time list at 145 pounds. Holloway also holds UFC featherweight records for wins (16), finishes (10), knockouts (8) and total fight time (4:32:00).
.811: Cumulative winning percentage for the four men—Volkanovski, Dustin Poirier, Dennis Bermudez and Conor McGregor—who have defeated Holloway.
4: Holloway victories over former UFC titleholders. He has beaten Jose Aldo (twice), Anthony Pettis and Frankie Edgar.
925: Days spent by Holloway as UFC featherweight champion. Only Aldo (2,037) has sat on the 145-pound throne longer.