5 Reasons why Max Holloway should move to lightweight
Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway has been a mainstay in the UFC’s featherweight division. The former UFC featherweight champion has consistently had entertaining fights and continues to maintain his place in the title picture.
After what he’s accomplished at 145lbs, perhaps it’s time for Holloway to make the move to lightweight for a new challenge.
‘Blessed’ hasn’t been against fighting in the UFC’s 155lbs division in the past. He accepted a short notice fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov for the vacant UFC lightweight championship in 2018, but was forced to withdraw.
Despite this initial setback, Holloway still fought at lightweight. At UFC 236, he fought Dustin Poirier for the interim UFC lightweight championship. It was a rematch of their first encounter seven years prior, with Poirier getting the win in both. Despite the loss, 'Blessed' proved he can compete with a top lightweight, so a potential move shouldn’t be viewed as too much of an uphill battle.
This list will look at 5 reasons why Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway should move to lightweight.
#5. Holloway has accomplished everything at featherweight
Max Holloway has accomplished everything there is to accomplish at featherweight. He defeated Jose Aldo by TKO at UFC 212 to become UFC featherweight champion and then made three successful title defenses.
Four years ago today, the best was Blessed, as Max Holloway stopped Jose Aldo to unify the UFC featherweight title 🏆 https://t.co/i3rQGOWgSV
Prior to his title loss to Alexander Volkanovski, 'Blessed' hadn’t lost a featherweight bout in six years. It was an impressive winning streak that saw him defeat many former UFC champions.
After back-to-back losses to Volkanovski, Holloway showcased why he should still be considered among the best in the division when he defeated Calvin Kattar. The bout was exciting and made a strong argument as to why he should get the next title shot.
Holloway vs Yair 🔥 https://t.co/ezpmpefbGm
'Blessed' followed that performance with another impressive win over Yair Rodriguez. He seemed open to evaluating his options post fight, which could be a sign that he’s considering a move to 155lbs.
Ultimately, he could stay and attempt to avenge his losses to Volkanovski. However, he'd still be back to square one if he wins the title as he'd have to fight the next contender.
While avenging his defeats to 'The Great' would be tremendous, Holloway has a unique chance to become champion in a different division. With the exception of Volkanovski, 'Blessed' has a chance to add more to his legacy at 155lbs than 145lbs.