"It was amazing to see" - Max Holloway praises Alexander Volkanovski for escaping Brian Ortega's submission attempts at UFC 266
Max Holloway was impressed by Alexander Volkanovski's display of resilience in the main event of UFC 266 against Brian Ortega.
Holloway said it was "amazing" to see Volkanovski escape two submission attempts from Ortega. Appearing on the latest episode of The MMA Hour, the former UFC featherweight champion said:
"Alex did good, you know. And in this sport, everybody wants people to overcome adversity and he did in that fight. Every fight, Alex overcomes adversity. But this fight is super clear and good for him. He finally got another highlight for his reel, a highlight reel for himself. And the bigger everybody gets in the sport, the better. So kudos to him... It was an amazing thing to see. It was crazy to see that highlight, the way he got out of both the triangle and the guillotine."
Holloway fought Volkanovski twice in two closely contested title bouts. The Hawaiian fighter lost the featherweight strap to Volkanovski at UFC 245 and failed to reclaim it during their UFC 251 rematch.
Watch Max Holloway's full interview below:
Max Holloway doesn't necessarily want a trilogy bout against Alexander Volkanovski right away
Max Holloway is gearing up for a main event showdown against Yair Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 197. Despite being 0-2 down against the reigning 145-pound champ, a win on Saturday night would catapult 'Blessed' back into the title picture.
However, Holloway revealed that he isn't necessarily fixated on a potential trilogy bout with Alexander Volkanovski. The former featherweight champ revealed he's considering high profile matchups in the lightweight division. Holloway said:
"I had five title defenses and I would like that sixth, but you know, with possible fights and stuff, there are bigger fights that the UFC discussed with us. I got a win over the 155-pound champ right now. We’re always on the shortlist for Conor [McGregor]. Like I said, that last [McGregor] fight, before we got injured, we was one of the replacement fighters. And then, I’m the best boxer in the UFC. So, use your imagination, my friend. It’s a wild world today.”
Conor McGregor fought Max Holloway 8 years ago today.
Since then, McGregor became UFC's first-ever double champ and headlined 8 of the top 10 UFC PPVs of all time, according to reports.
Holloway reeled off a record 14 straight featherweight wins, including three title defenses. https://t.co/5MarssotWt
Holloway hinted at a potential rematch with Conor McGregor, who defeated him at UFC Fight Night 26. Another possibility Holloway is apparently looking at is challenging Charles Oliveira for the 155-pound strap.