Conor McGregor weighs in on Alexander Volkanovski ‘pound-for-pound best’ debate

Volkanovski retained the UFC featherweight title on Saturday with a masterclass against Max Holloway

Conor McGregor has dismissed suggestions that Alexander Volkanovski is currently the best mixed martial artist in the world.

Volkanovski retained the UFC featherweight title with a masterful performance against Max Holloway on Saturday, comfortably outpointing the former champion in the co-main event of UFC 276.

The result marked the Australian’s third decision victory from three fights against Holloway, the man he dethroned in 2019. It also extended Volkanovski’s win streak to a remarkable 22 fights, with the 33-year-old’s only loss as a professional having come in 2013 against a welterweight champion.

Volkanovski is now eyeing a move up to lightweight as he aims to replicate McGregor’s feat of becoming a dual-weight UFC champion, and the featherweight title holder’s coach Eugene Bareman has said the Australian is the best pound-for-pound fighter alive right now.

“Oh, man, I’m lost for words,” Bareman told Submission Radio. “I didn’t know he’d be that convincing [at UFC 276]. As much as I’ve gotten to know Alex over the years, the guy could still have a performance like that and still leave me gob-smacked.

“I’m like: ‘Wow.’ Just when you think he’s good and he’s at his best, he finds another level. And just, what a masterclass. Like, respectfully, if that’s not the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, then I don’t know who is.”

McGregor, however, dismissed the suggestion in a tweet on Wednesday.

The Irishman, who in 2016 became the first fighter in UFC history to hold two titles at once, replied to a tweet about Bareman’s comments, simply writing: “Stop that, please.”

McGregor, 33, won the UFC featherweight title in 2015 by knocking out Jose Aldo, before stopping Eddie Alvarez one year later to seize the lightweight belt. McGregor later vacated both titles without having defended either.

In contrast, Volkanovski has now defended and retained the featherweight gold four times.