Max Holloway has clapped back at UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for criticizing his fight with Justin Gaethje.
Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) told MMA Junkie that he thinks the BMF title fight between Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and Holloway (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 300 is useless since it leaves him without an opponent for his next title defense. But Holloway points the finger at Makhachev, who hasn’t competed since knocking out Alexander Volkanovski last October at UFC 294. He finds it laughable that Volkanovski has competed since then but not Makhachev.
“I saw Islam talk about, ‘Oh, this fight makes no sense and blah, blah, blah.’ I’m like, ‘Brother, you should’ve fought Justin in February,'” Holloway said on the “MIGHTYcast” with Demetrious Johnson. “Why did the guy you knocked out turn around so fast and fight in February when you were healthy? You should’ve turned around and came (back in) February. Everybody knows you can’t fight in Ramadan, and that’s why they couldn’t do the fight on 300 with Leon (Edwards) or he couldn’t get another fight, but he’s complaining like, ‘I can’t get fights.’ I’m like, it’s because you’re only fighting around the times that you want to fight. It’s not that you can’t get fights. You’re just not taking the fights that are offered because of certain things going on.
“If he really wanted to fight, I thought he would’ve turned around and fought in February. It made no sense to make the guy who just got a brutal knockout to turn around and fight in February.”
Makhachev, who is Muslim, has made it clear that he won’t compete during Ramadan, which saw it’s final day Tuesday. Instead, he’s targeting a return in June against Dustin Poirier, the only current available top lightweight contender.
On Saturday’s main card, Gaethje takes on Holloway, whereas Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan battle in an expected No. 1 contender bout.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.
