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 <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/ufc/" target="_blank">UFC</a> 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 <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/other-sport/ufc-251-alexander-volkanovski-seeks-the-respect-i-deserve-by-beating-max-holloway-again-1.1045804" target="_blank">the rematch in Abu Dhabi the following July</a>. That bout was part of UFC 251, the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/other-sport/ufc-251-dana-white-says-abu-dhabi-has-been-amazing-and-fight-island-s-tough-to-beat-1.1048058" target="_blank">first event of the inaugural Fight Island series</a> in the capital. Volkanovski, 33, has since defended his crown once more, triumphing on points in the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/ufc/2021/09/26/ufc-266-volkanovski-retains-featherweight-title-in-instant-classic-against-ortega/" target="_blank">Fight of the Year contender against Brian Ortega</a> in September. Holloway, the division’s No 1-ranked contender, has won twice since losing to Volkanovski, <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/other-sport/ufc-fight-night-max-holloway-having-the-time-of-my-life-in-dominant-win-over-calvin-kattar-in-abu-dhabi-1.1147355" target="_blank">dominating Calvin Kattar in Abu Dhabi last January</a> and then defeating Yair Rodriguez on points in Las Vegas in November. 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 <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/ufc/2021/09/28/ufc-267-aljamain-sterling-explains-abu-dhabi-withdrawal-hits-back-at-petr-yan-jibe/" target="_blank">their October rematch in Abu Dhabi was postponed</a> 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 <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/ufc/2021/10/30/petr-yan-clinches-interim-bantamweight-title-in-superb-co-main-event-at-ufc-267/" target="_blank">fought Cory Sandhagen for the interim belt at UFC 267 at Etihad Arena</a>, 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.