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Max Holloway desires a chunk of UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.
It’s been nearly two years since Holloway challenged for featherweight gold, along with his most up-to-date championship bout occurring at UFC 276 in July 2022 when he misplaced to Alexander Volkanovski for a 3rd time. This Saturday at UFC 300, Holloway will get an opportunity to snag the “BMF” belt when he fights Justin Gaethje in a light-weight bout, however he nonetheless has eyes on a return to 145 kilos.
Particularly if Topuria is the one to welcome him again.
“He actually desires to battle Topuria,” Holloway’s supervisor Tim Simpson stated on The MMA Hour. “He looks like he’s going to whoop him. That’s Max’s phrases.”
Topuria has skilled a meteoric rise to stardom since debuting within the UFC in 2020. The undefeated fighter capped off a 7-0 begin to his octagon profession with a second-round knockout of Volkanovski at UFC 298 this previous February. The championship win has resonated globally, with Topuria being feted in each his native Georgia and his present residence nation of Spain.
Holloway has overwhelmed a pair of ranked opponents in his previous two fights, Chan Sung Jung and Arnold Allen, and stated at UFC 300 media day that he’s uncertain why Topuria was able to jump him in the contender line. Regardless of his current success, Holloway felt there was no assure that he’d obtain an opportunity to proper that unsuitable no matter what occurred between Topuria and Volkanovski, so he moved on to Gaethje and the BMF title.
“Max has spoken on it,” Simpson stated of not ready to see if Volkanovski will get a right away rematch. “There’s the belief with a long-reigning champion that an computerized rematch is there. There’s a lot precedent for that. Kamaru [Usman] received it towards Leon [Edwards]. Anderson Silva received it towards Chris Weidman. [Valentina] Shevchenko received it. In case you’ve been a champ for five-plus, even a number of defenses, extremely possible you’re getting a shot at redemption. So whereas not a foregone conclusion, you’d be silly to not assume that Volk was going to get a rematch. So that you look ahead to what? You wait to attend.”
“I don’t assume there was any assure that Max would have gotten one other battle with Volk,” Simpson added. “So it’s doable, however once more, do you benefit from this chance or say, ‘Do I get the fourth battle? Can they promote that if another person goes to do it? After which if Topuria wins, is there a rematch?’ There was simply an excessive amount of to be left in a void, and certain, if there was no different good possibility, like, ‘Hey, battle one other individual at ‘45 for regular pay or no matter,’ perhaps you then assume, let’s wait and see. [But] you get this large occasion, large alternative? This can be a life-changer for Max, truthfully.”
Ought to Holloway get previous Gaethje, he’ll don’t have any scarcity of choices. With three straight wins, an illustrious record of accomplishments, and a legion of “Blessed” followers behind him, Holloway can have his decide of opponents with a win at UFC 300.
Merely put, Holloway’s supervisor expects to guide his fighter in a title bout subsequent, it doesn’t matter what division he’s in.
“I feel you win, you grow to be the No. 1 contender in two weight lessons,” Simpson stated. “It’s large.”
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