Holloway Not Done with Lightweight?
Despite things not going as planned in his first lightweight bout earlier this year, UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway says his business at the heavier weight class may not be over.
Holloway moved up to 155 to face Dustin Poirier in an interim lightweight title fight for the UFC 236 main event in April. Despite a high-intensity brawl, Holloway was defeated by unanimous decision, snapping a 13-fight win streak. Holloway was attempting to join an elite group of fighters to win UFC belts in two weight classes and become the first to hold a world title in one division and an interim belt in the other.
UFC President Dana White also insisted Holloway compete at 155 after grueling weight cuts to 145, but in the aftermath of UFC 236, White has switched stances on that. At a UFC 240 media luncheon, Holloway, however, said that he may not be through at lightweight.
“[155] ain’t far off. That’s only 10 pounds, that’s all it is, is 10 pounds,” Holloway said. “We’ll get back there when we get back there. Hopefully, it’s sooner rather than later and we’ll see what happens. If it takes a 10-fight win streak to fight for another belt up there, become the double champ, it takes a 10-fight streak. That’s what it is. I ain’t scared of no work and you guys all know that. Put my nose down and get to work I guess.”
Holloway added that the conversations surrounding his weight class don’t affect him, further joking that if the UFC called him and asked him to make 210 or 220 pounds to fight Daniel Cormier, he’d do it.
The Hawaiian fighter, however, claims that returning to featherweight was always in the plans, as he has a fresh group of faces to take on and defend his title against, such as Alexander Volkanovski, Zabit Magomedsharipov and former title challenger “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.
Holloway and Frankie Edgar will meet with the featherweight strap on the line in the main event of UFC 240 next week. It’s the third time this fight has been booked, with each man pulling out once before due to injury.
“I always wanted to and we’ve got unfinished business,” Holloway said. “There’s a lot of guys now coming up that are doing what they’re supposed to be doing and Frankie is a legend, he’s a legend. Third times a charm. It took two times to book this fight, I can’t wait. And I always said, [a] champ is a champ and a king is a king of someone who defends their land, who defends their belt. That’s what true kings are, that’s what true kings do and I wanted to come back down.”
Original Story: MMAFighting