The former featherweight champion Max Holloway will make his much-anticipated return to the octagon after being out of action for almost ten months. Holloway was last seen inside the cage back in July of 2022 where he lost his trilogy against featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski.
After losing to Volkanovski thrice, many believe Holloway to be demotivated going into the fight as he has to take the long road again to get back into title contention.
“A lot of people keep telling me, ‘What’s your motivation for this fight?’” Holloway responded to critics at UFC Fight Night media day. “It’s crazy to me. Are you insane? If being a champion wasn’t my motivation, being the greatest wasn’t my motivation, why would I take this fight?”
He continued “If I was just in it to just fight or even get money grabs, I’d take easier fights. I’m fighting the guy they’re talking about who is next in title contention, who a lot of guys thought he should have got the interim title, you know? At the end of the day, to be the best, you got to beat the best, and the best is ‘Blessed.’”
Will Max Holloway fight Volkanovski for the fourth time?
Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway is without a doubt one of the greatest featherweights to grace the octagon. Having won and defended the featherweight belt three times against fighters like Anthony Pettis, Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, and Frankie Edgar, Holloway is no stranger to top-level competition. But one may question his own skillset after losing to the same fighter thrice.
When asked about the possibility of him ever fighting Volkanovski again, the 31-year-old remained optimistic and said “I do believe I’m a better fighter than Alex Volkanovski,”
“If I didn’t believe I was a better fighter than him, then why am I fighting in the same weight class as the guy? Once you start to accept, ‘This guy might be better than me,’ you don’t belong and you should retire. Guys don’t understand that,” he continued
“A lot of people are OK with just being OK. If I didn’t think I could still win, what the hell am I doing? I would have gone to another weight class. I would have retired — but I know I’m there,” he concluded.
The Hawaiian fighter has fought many of the top contenders in the Lightweight division also. So a move to 155 is not out of the books.
Who would you want ‘Blessed’ to fight next?
