KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway isn’t just here for fun and games – he’s here to reclaim UFC gold.
Holloway (23-7 MMA, 19-7 UFC) is firmly positioned near the top of the division, but his situation is complicated because the current champion Alexander Volkanovski holds three title fight wins over him. After dropping the title in their first meeting at UFC 245 and then losing the immediate rematch at UFC 251, it took Holloway two consecutive wins to get another crack at his nemesis.
After the same result in his last outing at UFC 276, and a prior failed appearance at lightweight, Holloway appears stuck in neutral as the best fighter in the featherweight division without the title.
It appears to be a difficult path to traverse to earn a fourth shot at the champion, but it’s one that Holloway very much intends to navigate. It’s a journey that begins Saturday in the main event of UFC on ESPN 44 against Arnold Allen at T-Mobile Center.
“A lot of people keep telling me, ‘What’s your motivation for this fight?'” Holloway told reporters at Wednesday’s 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?
“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.'”
Allen (19-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) is undefeated through 10 UFC fights, and a winner of 12 straight overall. In 2022, he stopped Dan Hooker and Calvin Kattar, placing him in a spot against Holloway. For Allen, a win likely means a shot at the title. For Holloway, a win here doesn’t necessarily mean the same.
However, Holloway has found added inspiration in Israel Adesanya’s UFC 287 victory over his longtime rival Alex Pereira, as he finally secured victory in devastating fashion in their fourth combat sports meeting.
“People keep giving me a hard time like how are we gonna do the fourth, this and that,” Holloway said. “I mean, watching Izzy last week was pretty inspiring. This is MMA. … At the end of the day, anything can happen. I go out there, put a statement out there, who’s to say what happens?”
If Holloway strings together another streak of victories over top names in the division like Allen, sooner or later, his resume will be undeniable for a fourth shot at Volkanovski, should he continue to hold on to the title in the meantime. At 31, Holloway wants everyone to know he’s not going anywhere soon, and is still at the top of his game.
“I guess I got a little Roy Jones in me right now, you know, ‘Y’all Must’ve Forgot.'” Holloway said. “… MMA is a rough sport, bro. We’re not basketball, we’re not baseball, we’re not football. Basketball, I can go to the line, shoot 0-12. Two days, three days later you got a game, I can go off for 32 points, you know?
“We’re in a sport where we fight, we’re lucky enough to fight twice a year and there’s months in between. Some people are lucky enough to fight in two weeks or whatever, but that’s a dime a dozen. We’re in a sport where that’s what it is, it takes time. You’re only as good as your last fight, and that’s what it is. I can’t wait to go out there and make this, my next fight, a great one.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.
