Max Holloway reveals key reason for his longevity in the UFC
Max Holloway has one of the greatest resumes in UFC history, and despite being only 31 years old, he is regarded as a veteran in the promotion.
'Blessed' made his UFC debut in 2012, at 20 years of age, with a record of 4-0. Since then, he has cemented himself as one of the greatest featherweights in promotional history, holding multiple UFC records.
In 2016, after going 12-3 in the 145-pound division, Holloway defeated Anthony Pettis to win the interim featherweight title. He beat Jose Aldo in his next bout to become the undisputed champion and defended his belt three times before losing to current champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Max Holloway is set to face surging contender Arnold Allen in the main event of UFC Kansas City this weekend. Ahead of the clash, 'Blessed' explained how his mindset has allowed him to achieve such long-lasting success:
"I'm 0-0 every fight. 0-0 my man, the ups, the downs, it all happens for a reason. But every time I go in there, 0-0. Everybody is like, 'How long did it take you to get over that last fight?' I was like, 'The next day,' You know what I mean? I felt bad for myself on Sunday, on the Monday we left and I was over it. You can't cry over spilt milk."
Catch Max Holloway's comments below (1:30):
Max Holloway's last fight was against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 276, the third bout of their epic rivalry. 'The Great' put on one of the greatest performances in featherweight history as he dominated 'Blessed' for all five rounds.
Holloway is 3-4 in his last seven bouts, but three of those losses were against Volkanovski. The fourth came against Dustin Poirier at UFC 236, when 'Blessed' moved up a division to compete for the interim lightweight title. Since being dethroned, the Hawaiian has picked up wins over Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez.
Holloway's unique "0-0" mindset has allowed him to go into every fight with a clear mind, as he is neither too confident in his own abilities nor too doubtful. He will look to defend his top spot in the rankings this Saturday.
Max Holloway explains why he doesn't spar in fight camp
Max Holloway is known for having one of the best chins in MMA history, and has never officially been knocked down in his 26-fight UFC career.
Ahead of his clash with Arnold Allen this weekend, 'Blessed' spoke to Daniel Cormier about why he is able to absorb punishment in fights. Holloway stated that he doesn't spar in training as much as the industry standard, which in turn allows his brain to remain fresh heading into a fight:
"I'm no longer taking damage in the gym. [Jose] Aldo and [Mauricio Rua] they were at Chute Box right? You saw how they train? Oh my God they need to get pay-per-view points over there... We take less damage in the gym so if we do take damage it can be in the fight"
Catch Max Holloway's comments below (10:30):