"Never say never" - Max Holloway keen on move up to lightweight, "especially with Oliveira leading the pack"
![Max Holloway (left) and Charles Oliveira (right) [images courtesy of @blessedmma and @charlesdobronxs on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/b7685-16563846540335-1920.jpg?w=500)
Max Holloway is contemplating combat north of featherweight.
'Blessed' appeared on The MMA Hour and admitted a fascination with running it back with an old opponent, only this time at 155 pounds.
Watch the interview/ video below:
Ariel Helwani asked Max Holloway if his days at 145 are numbered, to which Holloway responded:
"We'll see what happens. I mean, we'll see what happens. Never say never right. There's interesting fights up there. Especially with (Charles) Oliveira leading the pack and stuff. So we'll see what happens you know. I can't wait. First things first is Alex (Volkanovski) July 2nd. Let's bring back balance to the world and we'll go from there."
Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira previously tested their skills with one another in a featherweight fight. Holloway won via TKO after Oliveira sustained a neck/shoulder injury in the main event of UFC Fight Night 74 in August 2015.
In regards to Oliveira recently being stripped of his lightweight gold prior to his Justin Gaethje contest, Holloway said:
"I feel bad for the guy, man. I don't know. The guy who was weighing him in is a stickler, bro. That's just what it is. It was like moving. You go up to '55, you should let it move a little bit like that and then say 55. How much times have you seen it? I don't know what happened, man."
"It sucks. It sucks for him because now his next fight is not going to be a title defense if he wins it. He's winning the title back so that's history getting taken from Oliveira. I feel bad for the guy,man. He's been going out there doing his thing. Half a pound, bro. Come on."
Since Oliveira took that Holloway loss, he has gone 13-3 and is riding an eleven-fight winning streak. 'Do Bronx' would look to regain gold while Max Holloway would aim to be discussed in the same rarefied air as multi-division UFC titleholders after this hypothetical sequel.
Running it back almost seven years after the first bout is of interest to Holloway, but he still has a defined focus on this weekend's prizefight.
Max Holloway vies for featherweight gold at UFC 276
The former featherweight king clashes in a trilogy bout with reigning king Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 276 this Saturday.
The two pound-for-pound ranked warriors fought each other in consecutive bouts in late 2019 and the summer of 2020.
Volkanovski won both bouts: via unanimous decision at UFC 245 and via a contentious split decision at UFC 251.
Holloway looks to become a two-time UFC featherweight champion this weekend, while Volkanovski aims to have a three-peat shutout in their legendary trilogy.
Would you like to see Holloway vs Oliveira II? Give us your thoughts in the comments!