Holloway Releases Statement After UFC 236 Loss

It’s no surprise that “Blessed” remains classy in defeat with his heartfelt message to Dustin and Jolie Poirier.

After an event like UFC 236, the classier followers of combat sports like to say stuff like “There are no losers here.” And while that’s a beautiful sentiment, it’s not true at all, of course. While Max Holloway fought like a warrior poet against Dustin Poirier in their interim lightweight title fight, his career has already begun to take big hits after judges rendered their bout a 49-46 loss for the Hawaiian (watch the highlights here).

All those money fights at 155 pounds that Dana White was talking about just months ago? Gone. Double champ dreams? Done. The UFC now wants the ‘too small’ Holloway back at 145 pounds where he’ll defend his belt against … I guess Frankie Edgar, since he’s the only beast in the division left that “Blessed” hasn’t slain yet.

Holloway didn’t seem too beat up about the results after the fight, even taking the time to joke with reporters in press alley on the way back to his locker room.

That’d be the only comment we’d get out of him, as the UFC sent him directly to the hospital with no further interviews. Now he’s resurfaced on Twitter with a short and classy statement:

”Life is chutes and ladders,” Holloway wrote. “Sometimes we gotta take that slide down to get to the next big ladder. It is what it is. We keep playing. We keep fighting. Congrats to Dustin and Jolie. They should’ve already had a belt. Diamonds are forever.”

That’s a lovely sentiment that builds off Dustin dedicating his win to wife Jolie Poirier. After months of bad blood and outside-the-cage punch ups, UFC 236 really reminded everyone how nice it is when people act like professional mixed martial artists.

And while Max Holloway may be down at the moment, he’s not out. I for one welcome the return of our featherweight overlord and the continued domination that will ensue.