Max Holloway wants a piece of UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.
It's been nearly two years since Holloway challenged for featherweight gold, and his most recent championship fight was a third loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 276 in July 2022. This Saturday at UFC 300, Holloway will face Justin Gaethje in a lightweight bout for a chance to capture the 'BMF' belt, but he still has his sights set on moving back to 145 pounds.
Especially if Topria welcomes him.
“He really wants to fight Topria,” Holloway's manager Tim Simpson said. MMA hour. “He feels like he's about to get yelled at. That's what Max said.”
Topria has experienced a meteoric rise to stardom since debuting in the UFC in 2020. The undefeated fighter capped off his Octagon career with a 7-0 start with a second-round knockout of Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February of this year. This championship victory resonated around the world, and Topria was praised both in his native Georgia and in his current home country of Spain.
Holloway has defeated two top-ranked opponents in Chan Sung-jong and Arnold Allen in his past two fights, but at UFC 300 media day, he asked why Topuria was able to put him on the contender line. He said he didn't know. Despite his recent success, Holloway felt there was no guarantee he would be given a chance to right that wrong, no matter what happened between Topuria and Volkanovski, and moved on to Gaethje and the BMF title.
“Max is talking about it,” Simpson said of not waiting to see if Volkanovski will get a rematch anytime soon. “There's this assumption that long-reigning champions automatically get a rematch. There's a lot of precedent for that. Kamal. [Usman] Won against Leon [Edwards]. Anderson Silva scores against Chris Weidman. [Valentina] Shevchenko understood that. If you've been champion five or more times or have defended your title multiple times in a row, there's a good chance you'll get a chance at redemption. So while it's not a foregone conclusion, it would be foolish not to assume Volk would get a rematch. So what are you waiting for? Wait, wait. ”
“I don't think there was any guarantee that Max would fight Volk again,” Simpson added. “It's possible, but again, do you take this opportunity or do you say, 'Can we win the fourth game?'” Would it sell if someone else tried to do it? So, if Topria wins, will there be a rematch? There's just too much left in the blank, and certainly, if there weren't any better options, like, “I'll take on a 45-year-old for a normal salary or something,'' I would probably wait and see. You might think, “Let's do it.'' . [But] Did you get a big chance at this big event? Honestly, this was life-changing for Max. ”
If Holloway can get past Gaethje, the options are endless. With three straight wins, an impressive list of accomplishments, and a legion of Blessed fans, Holloway will have his pick of an opponent to beat at UFC 300.
Simply put, Holloway's manager expects him to be in a title fight next, no matter what division he's in.
“I think if you win, you’ll be the No. 1 candidate in two weight classes,” Simpson said. “That's huge.”
