The fight game has always been about seizing opportunities and calling out the right names. Max Holloway, the Hawaiian warrior who turned Justin Gaethje’s lights out at UFC 300, knows this dance all too well. He will be fighting for the featherweight title, and then he has set his sights on an even bigger prize- the lightweight championship and its current keeper, Islam Makhachev.
Back in 2018, ‘Blessed‘ nearly got his shot at lightweight glory against Khabib Nurmagomedov, but fate had other plans. Now, years later, he’s eyeing the next best thing – a showdown with Khabib’s protege. He revealed this during his recent appearance on the MIGHTYCast podcast with Demetrious Johnson.
“Islam never, ever wanted to fight me, even when I was saying I was coming up to (155). After fighting the guy that he was supposed to fight next, he still was saying, I don’t know why I would fight him. But then recently his tone changed where he was like, Oh yeah, if I can get past Topuria, he’d be open to fight me. I was like, OK, that’s all we needed.”
As Max Holloway tells it, Makhachev’s tune has finally changed after witnessing the Hawaiian’s recent performances. But before any lightweight dreams can materialize, ‘Blessed’ faces a massive challenge in Ilia Topuria at UFC 308. He is treating this upcoming title fight as merely another stepping stone in his grand plan.
The confidence radiating from the Hawaiian isn’t just hot air – it’s backed by years of excellence and unforgettable moments. While most fighters struggle to dominate one division, Max Holloway is planning chess moves that could potentially land him in the lightweight title picture.
Max Holloway Taunts Islam Makhachev After His Comments On “Useless” UFC 300 Fight
Before UFC 300, Makhachev had some thoughts on the BMF title fight between Holloway and Justin Gaethje. He deemed the fight “useless“ in the grand scheme of things. The lightweight champion’s words seemed to have struck a nerve with the ever-charismatic Hawaiian, who wasn’t about to let this slight go unanswered.
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Appearing on the MIGHTYcast with Demetrious Johnson before his UFC 300 fight, Max Holloway unleashed a calculated counterattack. The former featherweight champion pointed out the glaring inconsistency in Makhachev’s logic.
“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. Why did the guy you knocked out [Alexander Volkanovski] turn around so fast and fight in February when you were healthy? If he really wanted to fight, I thought he would’ve turned around and fought in February.”
Makhachev was eyeing a June return against Dustin Poirier, and Holloway was preparing for UFC 300. Now, as time has passed and with the Ilia Topuria matchup looming, Max Holloway has a chance to be the first featherweight champion to have the BMF belt as well. Maybe he will move up to lightweight afterward and take on Makhachev for a three-title glory!
