Max Holloway | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

Chael Sonnen Makes The Case For Why A Third Fight Between Max Holloway & Dustin Poirier Might Be Different

Following his loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, Max Holloway made an announcement about his career going forwards. The former featherweight champion has spent most of his time in the UFC competing at 145-pounds but no more. Before returning to the weight class to challenge Topuria for the title, “Blessed” defeated Justin Gaethje for […]

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Makes The Case For Why A Third Fight Between Max Holloway & Dustin Poirier Might Be Different at MMA News.

Before returning to the weight class to challenge Topuria for the title, “Blessed” defeated Justin Gaethje for the BMF title at lightweight and put in one of his best performances to date in the process. With Holloway announcing that lightweight is now his permanent home, this opens up some very exciting options for him.

One fight that he already mentioned is a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier which could serve as one of the final fights in the great career of “The Diamond”. Poirier already holds two wins over Holloway but that doesn’t stop Chael Sonnen from wanting to see them run it back one more time before Poirier retires.

In a recent YouTube video, he made it clear that he wouldn’t usually be campaigning to see a third fight between two opponents where one of them is already two up in the series. However, Sonnen also made the case for why the third fight could be different than the previous two.

Holloway’s first encounter with Poirier came in his UFC debut where he had just four pro fights under his belt at the time. The second time around at UFC 236, Poirier was able to break the Hawaiian’s incredible winning streak but this was Holloway’s first time moving up to 155-pounds and he didn’t look the same as he did at featherweight.

With him now committing to lightweight, Sonnen thinks this makes the trilogy more interesting than before.

“So let’s make a case for Max. Is Max better now than he was then? No. But, is Max different? Yeah, he definitely could be. Yeah, you bet your a** he could be different because one thing that is different is Max is not playing at 55 before he goes back to 45. He is done at 45, he has made that commitment, he has absolutely closed that book. That’s a big deal and you’ll never hear me act like 10 pounds is a lot but from 45 to 55, it is.”

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Makes The Case For Why A Third Fight Between Max Holloway & Dustin Poirier Might Be Different at MMA News.

Cormier: Max Holloway Should Look For Lesser ‘Challenge’ Than Dustin Poirier In Lightweight Return

Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier hopes to see Max Holloway work his way up the the competition levels at 155 pounds. A new chapter in the illustrious career of Holloway appears set to get underway in 2025. After falling short of regaining the featherweight title last month in Abu Dhabi, the fan favorite will […]

Continue Reading Cormier: Max Holloway Should Look For Lesser ‘Challenge’ Than Dustin Poirier In Lightweight Return at MMA News.

Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier hopes to see Max Holloway work his way up the the competition levels at 155 pounds.

A new chapter in the illustrious career of Holloway appears set to get underway in 2025. After falling short of regaining the featherweight title last month in Abu Dhabi, the fan favorite will soon bid farewell to 145 pounds.

“Blessed” hinted at a permanent move up to lightweight in the immediate aftermath of his first knockout loss at the hands of Ilia Topuria, and he subsequently confirmed that decision this past weekend.

Courtesy of his BMF title-winning knockout of Justin Gaethje this past April, Holloway already finds himself inside the top five at 155 pounds. With that in mind, a potential title eliminator against a high-ranked name could be awaiting him.

Cormier, though, hopes that isn’t the case.

During the latest episode of his Good Guy / Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Cormier acknowledged that bouts against the top names in the lightweight division will be available for Holloway.

“DC,” however, would much rather see the Hawaiian start from the ground up.

“He’s asking for Dustin Poirier. That would be absolutely fantastic. But is there a better way to introduce Max Holloway into the lightweight division?” Cormier said. “Do we put him in there with a Dustin for a third time? Or do we see what happens with Michael Chandler after he fights Charles Oliveira? Or do we start to kind of look down the rankings a little bit, Chael, and say, ‘Well, it would be fun to watch him fight a Rafael Fiziev. It would be fun to watch him fight a Benoît Saint Denis. It would be fun to watch him fight a Paddy Pimblett.’

“I know that might not be fun for Max, might not be great for Max, but it would give him an opportunity to work his way back into contention without being in there with these absolute killers,” Cormier continued. “Personally, I would like to see Max Holloway not stand across from Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Alexander Volkanovski. … Something not as crazy of a challenge.”

Unfortunately for Cormier, his pleas may prove to be too little, too late.

The ball seems to be firmly rolling on a third chapter in Poirier and Holloway’s story, with the former recently giving his approval to “Blessed’s” callout on social media.

Last Dance https://t.co/gJMcDq4upG

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) November 4, 2024

Read More: Ilia Topuria Reveals The One Thing That Surprised him About Max Holloway Fight

Continue Reading Cormier: Max Holloway Should Look For Lesser ‘Challenge’ Than Dustin Poirier In Lightweight Return at MMA News.

Max Holloway Reaches Definitive Decision On His Next Step After UFC 308 Title Loss

There has been plenty of speculation on what Max Holloway’s next move will be following his loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308. And now, Holloway has revealed his decision — and it’s speculation that most expected. In a new video on his YouTube channel, the former 145-pound kingpin officially confirmed his decision to move […]

Continue Reading Max Holloway Reaches Definitive Decision On His Next Step After UFC 308 Title Loss at MMA News.

In a new video on his YouTube channel, the former 145-pound kingpin officially confirmed his decision to move up to lightweight.

“155 (pounds) here we come, and 155 is where I want to stay,” Holloway said. “This is a new chapter. This is where we start. This is where we begin. I cannot wait.”

Max Holloway Announces Move To Lightweight, Doubts He’ll Compete At Featherweight Ever Again

While Holloway’s boxing was on full display in his bout with Topuria, the champ’s aggressiveness and power led him to become the first fighter to knock “Blessed” out. The Hawaiian is neither holding any negative feelings nor making excuses, knowing how long he’s been at the top at 145 pounds.

It was Holloway’s third unsuccessful challenge to regain the featherweight strap after already losing twice in rematches with the man who snatched the belt from him at UFC 245 in 2019, Alexander Volkanovski.

Volkanovski and Topuria are the only fighters to have beaten Holloway since his long featherweight winning streak that ran between 2013 and 2019. However, with Holloway likely far from another featherweight title shot, the logical choice is to move up.

“I can honestly look you guys in the eye and tell you guys, I’m probably not ever going back to ’45,” Holloway said. “I love what I did. I did what I did. I did what I had to do there. I worked my way back, I clawed my back to the championship fight multiple times there. I was a champion. I defended at that weight.

“Now it’s time to move on to the next chapter, and (at) 155 there’s a bunch of fun fights that I cannot wait to take.”

Holloway’s decision now opens up a variety of potential options for opponents, including Charles Oliveira, Michael Chandler, Dan Hooker and champion Islam Makhachev. Rematches with Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier — who is expected to retire after one or two more fights in 2025 — are in the mix as well.

“Blessed” has fought twice at lightweight previously, losing to Poirier in an interim title match at UFC 236 and famously defeating Gaethje for the BMF title at UFC 300 earlier this year.

Read More: UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi Live Results & Highlights

Continue Reading Max Holloway Reaches Definitive Decision On His Next Step After UFC 308 Title Loss at MMA News.

Video: Max Holloway Moving to UFC Lightweight Division After KO Loss vs. Ilia Topuria

Max Holloway is ready to take on a new challenge. The UFC Fighter announced on his YouTube Channel that he will be leaving the featherweight division and…

Max Holloway’s Next Chapter? UFC Legend Bisping Weighs In After Holloway’s Defeat

Michael Bisping thinks there are plenty of options left for Max Holloway. All of them just happened to be…

Michael Bisping thinks there are plenty of options left for Max Holloway. All of them just happened to be in the lightweight division.

After suffering the first knockout loss of his career against reigning featherweight world champion Ilia Topuria, Holloway’s future is uncertain.

Fortunately, ‘Blessed’ has plenty of time to figure out what’s next as he’s still only 32 years old, but another run with the 145-pound title is probably out of the question at this point.

“The time is done, that ship has sailed, move on,” Bisping said of Holloway’s featherweight title aspirations on his Believe You Me podcast. “You’re getting older, the weight cut’s tougher. You’ve had a couple of losses, you almost became the champion again, you looked incredible against Justin Gaethje, you took his shots, you knocked him out cold” (h/t MMA Knockout on SI).

Bisping sees rematches aplenty for max holloway at lightweight

On the other hand, Bisping does believe there are some big-money fights for ‘Blessed’ at 155.

“There’s a lot of fun fights for him at 155 pounds,” Bisping continued. There’s Dan Hooker, there’s Poirier, there’s Gaethje, Charles Oliviera, which by the way, them three would all be rematches, which is wild.

Already holding victories over Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje and having gone toe-to-toe with Dustin Poirier for the interim lightweight title in 2019, there are a few high-profile rematches to be had in the lightweight division and one big win in the division would likely put ‘Blessed’ immediately into the title mix.

A pairing against No. 5 ranked contender Dan Hooker would also present a fresh and exciting matchup worthy of determining the division’s next man in line for a shot at Islam Makhachev.

Is a move to 155 the logical next step for the reigning BMF titleholder?

“Just Retire It. End It.” Ariel Helwani Slams BMF Belt Calling for Its End

Ariel Helwani thinks it’s time for the UFC to retire the BMF title. Introduced in 2019, the bragging rights…

Ariel Helwani thinks it’s time for the UFC to retire the BMF title.

Introduced in 2019, the bragging rights belt was established to give Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz something to fight for when the two fan favorites headlined UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden. ‘Gamebred’ ended up winning the title via a third-round doctor’s stoppage TKO.

Since then, the belt has found its way around the waist of both Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway in 2024, but Helwani thinks the UFC should have done away with the gimmick immediately after it was wrapped around Masvidal’s waist.

The BMF title is an absolute mess. Just retire it. End it. pic.twitter.com/cssCd4oPfg

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 30, 2024

”He [Usman] was the king of the welterweights and the people who were fighting for the BMF title weren’t in title contention just yet and so if you can’t be a champion there, you could create your own belt and this has been the issue that I’ve always had with the BMF title,” Helwani said on his show.

“If I’m Islam Makhachev and you are touting Max Holloway is the baddest motherf**ker on the planet, I’m like, ‘Yo, this is my weight class, you won to fight in, I’m the baddest guy on the planet, I’m the baddest MFer at 155,’ that’s what the belt should recognize… Not some like secondary division within the division… It should have ended with the Masvidal fight in MSG.”

No Reigning BMF champion has ever won a fight inside the octagon

Masvidal went on to lose four straight fights inside the Octagon before walking away from the promotion last year. The promotion then reintroduced the title at UFC 291 for a long-awaited rematch between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier.

‘The Highlight’ ended up winning the fight and the title via a stunning second-round head-kick KO but handed it over to Max Holloway nine months later at UFC 300 when ‘Blessed’ scored an insane buzzer-beating knockout against the lightweight contender.

Holloway recently returned to the Octagon at UFC 308, not to defend the BMF belt, but to try and add another piece of hardware to his collection. ‘Blessed’ squared off with featherweight king Ilia Topuria and ended up suffering the first knockout loss of his illustrious career.

Interestingly, no BMF titleholder has ever won a fight inside the Octagon. Masvidal, Gaethje, and Holloway all went a combined 0-6 after laying claim to the fictitious title.

Maybe Helwani is onto something.