"Couldn't see something more fitting" - Max Holloway reacts to the "cool" idea of fight against fellow Hawaiian for the 'BMF' title
Max Holloway seemed excited to defend the BMF title against a fellow Hawaiian UFC fighter but was skeptical about the chances of the fight taking place in their homeland.
Holloway won the BMF title with a historic KO of his predecessor Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April. Although it doesn't have competitive relevance, the ceremonial title is a tribute to the fighters' warrior spirit, and many fighters seem to desire it. UFC featherweight contender and Hawaii's own Dan Ige stepped up on three hours' notice to take on Diego Lopes and produced a respectable performance at UFC 303.
During the UFC 308 media day interaction, journalists pitched the idea of Holloway vs. Ige for the BMF title. Holloway replied:
"That'd be amazing, right? Two Hawaiians at the top of it, the pinnacle. Two warriors, I mean... It would be cool!"
When a member of MMA media proposed the fight in Hawaii, 'Blessed' responded:
"In Hawaii, that's probably not going to happen. It's not a UFC problem in Hawaii, guys. It's a Hawaii problem. I don't know what's going down in Hawaii. I don't know why they give us so much hard time. When I had the belt and we had the opportunities to do it... But it's a Hawaii thing. The next big thing would probably be in Las Vegas. With that, two Hawaiians fighting for the BMF belt, I couldn't see something more fitting. It'd be funny."
Check out Max Holloway's comments below (18:25):
Holloway and Ige will perform alongside each other at UFC 308 on Oct. 26. 'Blessed' will be newly crowned featherweight champion Ilia Topuria's first title defense in the main event. Meanwhile, Ige will take on undefeated Lerone Murphy on the main card.
Ilia Topuria thinks Max Holloway's BMF title will lose its value if he loses on Oct. 26
Ilia Topuria has downplayed Max Holloway's win over Justin Gaethje, possibly as a part of mind games and promotional tactics for their UFC 308 clash. While the BMF title is not on the line on Oct. 26, Topuria said that the ceremonial title won't mean anything if Max Holloway lost to him.
During an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Topuria said:
"The only thing that makes you relevant is the BMF belt. You will lose a lot of value if someone comes and defeats you, even if you don't put the BMF belt at stake. Imagine what's going to happen on Oct. 26 when I knock him out. His belt won't have any value anymore. You can call yourself BMF but I'm not sure."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (3:20):