Max Holloway answers if he would go back to the lightweight division
The possibility of Max Holloway returning to the lightweight division in the UFC has been a topic of discussion among fans and analysts. The former featherweight champion, who has previously competed in the lightweight division, has now shared his thoughts on the matter.
Holloway revealed that he is open to the idea of moving back up to the lightweight division, but only if it makes sense for him and his team. The Hawaiian fighter emphasized that his focus at the moment is on the featherweight division, where he has been a dominant force for many years.
During a recent interaction with journalists on UFC Kansas City media day, 'Blessed' remarked:
"I don't know, I couldn't answer that question. I mean I would love to fight and get busy and 155 (lightweight) like I said is not that far off man. I mean I had a very competitive fight with Poirier in the rematch and he used to be top what three in the world at at 155 right now so and then you know Alex did his thing against Islam again style make fights."
Max Holloway added:
"We're proving that like, we're right there amongst the top you know so at the end of the day I don't know bro but I am Polynesian, I'm Samoan-Hawaiian, we love food so I think gaining weight is not going to be a problem."
Check out the entire remarks below (from 7:49 onwards)
Max Holloway's recent comments about potentially returning to the lightweight division in the UFC have sparked interest in his past experiences in that weight class. Holloway's last fight at lightweight was in 2019 against Dustin Poirier for the interim UFC lightweight title, a bout in which he suffered a unanimous decision loss.
One year ago today, @DustinPoirier and @BlessedMMA had the tall task of following Adesanya and Gastelum at UFC 236.
The born-scrappers rose to the occasion, notching their own Fight of the Year contender in the main event. https://t.co/djI31zI0DX
However, this was not Holloway's only foray into the lightweight division. In 2018, while still reigning as UFC featherweight champion, Holloway agreed to step up on just six days' notice to replace Tony Ferguson and fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the vacant UFC lightweight title. Unfortunately, Max Holloway was pulled from the fight on weigh-in day due to concerns about his health.
Max Holloway finally discusses regarding Alexander Volkanovski trilogy fight
Max Holloway, admitting that he was simply beaten by the better fighter. This marks the third time that Holloway has faced Alexander Volkanovski in the Octagon, with the Australian emerging victorious in all three bouts.
Their latest encounter at UFC 276 saw Volkanovski dominate 'Blessed' with an impressive performance that earned him a unanimous decision victory.
Holloway acknowledged in a recent interview with ESPN MMA that 'The Great' was the superior fighter on the night, and that he simply could not match his opponent's skills. The Hawaiian native stated:
"That man [Volkanovski] was just a better night that night man, it is what it is, that's what happens. I can tell you all that 'I didn't feel good that night, I had a sore stomach' and blah blah blah, and this and that, but I hate when people whine man, I hate when people make excuses and I'm not gonna make no excuses for myself."
Check out the entire conversation below (from 5:04 onwards):