Alexander Volkanovski trilogy clash with Max Holloway booked for UFC 272

Pair met in rematch in Abu Dhabi in July 2020, with Australian winning on points for second time

Alexander Volkanovski, right, defeated Max Holloway during their first bout UFC 245 at T-Mobile Arena on December 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

Alexander Volkanovski prepares for a bout against Max Holloway at UFC 245 at T-Mobile Arena on December 14, 2019. Reuters

Alexander Volkanovski punches UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway in their title fight during UFC 245 at T-Mobile Arena on December 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Volkanovski took the title by unanimous decision. AFP

Alexander Volkanovski prepares for a bout against Max Holloway at UFC 245 at T-Mobile Arena on December 14, 2019. Reuters

Max Holloway kicks Alexander Volkanovski of Australia during their UFC featherweight championship rematch at UFC 251 at Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on July 12, 2020 in Abu Dhabi. Zuffa LLC

Alexander Volkanovski of Australia celebrates after his split-decision victory over Max Holloway to successfully defend his UFC feagtherweight title at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi. Zuffa LLC

A trilogy bout between featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway is set for March, with bantamweight belt-holders Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan also poised to meet on the same card.

ESPN reported early on Thursday confirmation from UFC president Dana White that the two championship bouts would take place at UFC 272, although the report added that contracts have yet to be signed. The event, the third pay-per-view card of the year, is likely to be staged at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Volkanovski, 10-0 in the UFC, first won the featherweight crown from Holloway via unanimous decision in December 2019, before the Australian prevailed again by a contentious split decision in the rematch in Abu Dhabi the following July. That bout was part of UFC 251, the first event of the inaugural Fight Island series in the capital.

Volkanovski, 33, has since defended his crown once more, triumphing on points in the Fight of the Year contender against Brian Ortega in September. Holloway, the division’s No 1-ranked contender, has won twice since losing to Volkanovski, dominating Calvin Kattar in Abu Dhabi last January and then defeating Yair Rodriguez on points in Las Vegas in November.

Holloway dominates Kattar in Abu Dhabi

Max Holloway celebrates after his unanimous-decision victory over Calvin Kattar in their featherweight bout at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on January 17. All photos by Getty Images

Blood pours from the head of Calvin Kattar.

Max Holloway kicks Calvin Kattar during their featherweight bout.

Matt Brown punches Carlos Condit during their welterweight bout. Condit took the decision on the judges' scorecards.

Li Jingliang of China punches Santiago Ponzinibbio of Argentina on his way to a knockout win in their welterweight bout.

Joaquin Buckley punches Alessio di Chirico of Italy during their middleweight bout . Di Chirico later caught Buckley with a kick that ended the cointest in the second round.

Punahele Soriano punches Dusko Todorovic of Serbia during their middleweight bout shortly before the referee stopped the fight in Soriano's favour.

Carlos Felipe of Brazil kicks Justin Tafa of Australia during their heavyweight bout. Felipe won the fight via split decision.

Joselyne Edwards of Panama punches Wu Yanan of China during their bantamweight. Edwards won the bout via unanimous decision.

Volkanovski has won his past 20 professional mixed martial arts bouts and boasts a 23-1 record, while Holloway’s pro career stands at 23-6.

Meanwhile, Sterling and Yan will finally face off after their October rematch in Abu Dhabi was postponed because the former had not fully recovered from a neck injury. The pair first met in March last year, when then-champion Yan was disqualified in the fourth round for an intentional illegal knee.

Yan, who captured the bantamweight title at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi, eventually fought Cory Sandhagen for the interim belt at UFC 267 at Etihad Arena, coming through via unanimous decision. Yan’s pro record reads 16-2 – his loss to Sterling marked his first defeat in 11 bouts – with his American rival's resume at 20-3.