Max Holloway talks future move to 155, lays down the ideal condition for shifting weight class
UFC featherweight (145-pound) mainstay Max Holloway has addressed the possibility of moving up to the lightweight (155-pound) division. Holloway made his MMA debut as a lightweight but soon moved down to featherweight, which is where he's spent most of his career.
'Blessed' eventually captured the UFC featherweight title and defended it multiple times before losing it to current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski via unanimous decision in December 2019. He lost the rematch against 'Volk' via split decision in July 2020.
Holloway also lost their trilogy fight via unanimous decision in July 2022, making him 0-3 against Volkanovski.
In the latest edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Max Holloway was asked whether he's considering a move to lightweight. 'Blessed' responded by stating:
"We'll see what happens."
Helwani then asked 'Blessed' whether he thought about moving to lightweight after losing his trilogy featherweight matchup against Volkanovski in July 2022.
Holloway replied by suggesting that he'd ideally like to recapture the featherweight title and move to lightweight while still holding it. The Hawaiian fighter said:
"I mean, not really. I was figuring out my management with Tim, who was talking and whatever. And then, [my manager] Tim went over and talked to UFC. And I think so if UFC really wanted to have '55, they would have pushed the issue. They really didn't.
"So, at the end of the day, we're here. I mean, it's always good to go up a weight class with a belt. So, that's the plan. If they thought maybe we couldn't do a fourth [fight] with 'Volk,' I think so they would've really pressed the issue on us and tell us, 'Look, you've got to go.'"
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Max Holloway scores a unanimous decision victory at #UFCKansasCity π https://t.co/uv7ZPzcXhd
Furthermore, Max Holloway alluded to the fact that his most recent fight saw him defeat rising contender Arnold Allen earlier this month (April 2023). He highlighted that he's still beating featherweight contenders and insinuated that he's likely to stay at featherweight and reclaim his title.
Watch Holloway discuss the topic at 11:47 in the video below:
Max Holloway's potential lightweight move and the current UFC featherweight title picture
Max Holloway's lone lightweight bout in the UFC came in April 2019. Holloway was the UFC featherweight champion at the time and moved up to 155 pounds to face Dustin Poirier for the interim UFC lightweight championship. He lost their back-and-forth showdown via unanimous decision.
That said, during his aforementioned conversation with Ariel Helwani, Max Holloway consistently maintained that he's open to a lightweight move after recapturing his featherweight belt. He notably referenced the upcoming title matchup between current 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski and interim champion Yair Rodriguez.
#OnThisDay in 2019, Max Holloway stepped up to lightweight to duke it out with Dustin Poirier for the interim lightweight title.
It turned into a classic!
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The consensus is that Holloway will likely face the winner of the Volkanovski-Rodriguez fight for the title. 'Blessed' opined that the Volkanovski-Rodriguez matchup could go either way. He further indicated that a possible fourth fight against Volkanovski would surely materialize down the line.
Alternatively, there's also the possibility that he could end up fighting Rodriguez in a rematch next, provided the latter beats 'Volk.'
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The UFC featherweight unification bout between Alex Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez is being targeted for UFC 290 on July 8 π₯
Reported by @bokamotoESPN π€ https://t.co/LU5cJyGtAq