The following is a story from five years ago featuring one half of tonight’s UFC Vegas 42 main event, Max Holloway, prior to “Blessed” claiming the featherweight crown. At the time, he had his sights set on the division’s king a…
[MMA NEWS ARCHIVES]
The following is a story from five years ago featuring one half of tonight’s UFC Vegas 42 main event, Max Holloway, prior to “Blessed” claiming the featherweight crown. At the time, he had his sights set on the division’s king at the time: Jose Aldo. The following story is presented in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 13, 2016, 9:19 AM]
Interim UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway wants to unify the belts with Jose Aldo, he just wants to make sure the reigning featherweight titleholder shows up for the scheduled date.
That’s why Holloway is a little reluctant to agree to a February date because he doesn’t believe “Jose Waldo” will make it.
“We got Jose Waldo over here saying Feb. 11. I don’t know,” Holloway said on The MMA Hour (thanks to MMAFighting.com for the quotes). “He wants to retire. He wants to be a soccer player. Now he’s a (expletive) matchmaker. Like I said before, the UFC needs to send his ass to the Cleveland Clinic and check his brain out. They’ve been sending me a bunch of times and my brain seems fine. I ain’t got no problems talking with you guys and doing all this (expletive).
“I said it before, I don’t want to give up my Christmas, I don’t want to give up my son’s birthday on Jan. 4, all for Feb. 11 and the guy doesn’t show up. The hashtag ‘where’s Jose Waldo?’ has been working because he’s popping off here and there, but we’ve got to keep on turning the page and keep finding him, so we’ll see what happens.”
Holloway scored his 10th consecutive victory this past weekend at UFC 206 when he finished Anthony Pettis in the third round. Aldo was given the belt after winning the interim title in July vs. Frankie Edgar when Conor McGregor won the lightweight title.
After McGregor decided to fight Eddie Alvarez instead of Aldo, the Brazilian went public and stated he planned to leave MMA.
Max Holloway has finally achieved his life-long dream of capturing UFC gold, as the 25-year-old Hawaiian defeated former lightweight champ Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis in the main event of UFC 206 this past Saturday (December 10, 2016), to become the interim 145-pound champion and extend his win streak to 10 fights. The win most likely sets
Max Holloway has finally achieved his life-long dream of capturing UFC gold, as the 25-year-old Hawaiian defeated former lightweight champ Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis in the main event of UFC 206 this past Saturday (December 10, 2016), to become the interim 145-pound champion and extend his win streak to 10 fights.
The win most likely sets up Holloway with a unification bout with featherweight champion Jose Aldo who was recently promoted undisputed champion, after defeating Frankie Edgar for the interim title at UFC 200 this past July, after Conor McGregor was stripped of his 145-pound strap.
Holloway recently joined MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour today (Monday, December 12, 2016) to discuss his win over Pettis, and broke down his third-round finish over ‘Showtime’ stating that it all started with a spinning back kick:
“It all started with the spinning back kick — nobody chose the spinning back kick in all the highlights,” Holloway said. “That’s where I started. I landed it and he stepped into me, he stepped into the spinning back kick, and I was like holy sh*t how the hell did he not fall down from that? And then I round house’d him and I saw him moving away, then when I round house’d him the second time I said ‘Oh he’s definitely hurt.’
“He put his head down so I thought he was gonna shoot, if you see before I start the flurry I go for a guillotine. Then I think ‘Oh wait he’s not even shooting he’s just covering up.’ So I told myself ‘It’s go time, it’s now or never Max. Get this guy out of here, he opened the door so it’s time to kick him out through it. We got the job done and it is what it is man. I’m blessed.”
Immediately after the bout with Pettis, it seemed as though people began booking ‘Blessed’s’ next Octagon appearance before he even walked out of the Air Canada Centre cage, as UFC 208 from Brooklyn began getting tossed around as a possible landing spot for an Aldo vs. Holloway title bout.
Before Holloway steps back into the Octagon, however, he would like to first sit down with UFC President Dana White and the new owners from WME-IMG prior to making anymore decisions:
“Man I don’t know, like I said to everyone man — I didn’t care, I was on cloud nine,” he said. “I wanted to fight but at the end of the day I didn’t meet the new owners yet. I want to have brunch with Dana and the new owners, Sean Shelby, I think so — A wise man once told me ‘This is big game hunting’ and I think I just brang in a lion on Saturday night.
“It’s time to cash in man, we’ll see what happens. I want to go talk to them first and talk business. This is business and this is fighting so, we got something up our sleeves so we’ll see what happens.”
Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski for USA TODAY Sports
Aldo himself has already stated that the bout is set for February 11of next year, but Holloway says that’s news to him as he has yet to be told of an official fight date and is reluctant to commit to the date as he fears ‘Scarface’ will pull out:
“I don’t know, we got Jose Waldo over here saying February 11th, he wants to retire, he wants to be a soccer player, now he’s a fu*cking match-maker. Like I said before, UFC needs to send his ass to the Cleveland Clinic and check his brain out. They’ve been sending me out a bunch of times and it seems my brain is fine, I’ve got no problem talking with you guys and doing all this sh*t.
“So yeah we’ll see what happens but I’ve said it before that I don’t want to give up my Christmas, I don’t want to give up my son’s birthday on January 4th for February 11th and the guy don’t show up. The hashtag #wheresjosewaldo has been working because he’s popping up here and there, but we gotta keep turning the page and keep finding him. We’ll see what happens.”
Holloway has racked up a legendary win streak inside the Octagon at 145 pounds, and has the potential to go down as one of the greats in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) while astonishingly enough only sitting at the age of 25. If Holloway is able to get past Aldo in their potential fight at UFC 208, the sky will be the limit for the talented young Hawaiian.
But as usual, there are some roadblocks to this featherweight barnburner being made.
This one is a bit confusing. Early Monday afternoon, Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting reported that UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo had done a media scrum in Brazil, during which he announced that he would be fighting interim champion Max Holloway at UFC 208 in a unification match. “He’s saying ‘where’s Aldo?’, you have to talk to the UFC,” Cruz translated Aldo as saying. “About the fight in February, I already knew that, I only didn’t know who I would fight. It was between him and Pettis, whoever won the fight. It’s not something new. This fight will happen on Feb. 11.”
About 90 minutes latest, Damon Martin of Fox Sports posted an article with comments from Holloway. who hadn’t yet committed to fighting on that date. “It’s news to me. I guess we found where Waldo is so I’m glad. It’s time to see what happens. We’re going to talk to the UFC, see what UFC says or see if he’s just trying to (expletive) start some (expletive),” Holloway said. “Like I said, I’m not planning on giving up Christmas and my son’s birthday for something that’s going to be booked and Feb. 11 comes up and we’re going to be (expletive) looking at where’s Jose Waldo.”
Citing not just celebrating Christmas, but also his son’s birthday in January, Holloway wasn’t jumping to take the fight in February. There’s also another reason: He thinks Aldo picked the date strategically to get an advantage. “That guy is crazy,” Holloway said. “I just looked and it’s eight weeks out already. That’s why that mother) wants to fight. He wants me to be all drained out from two training camps in a row but that (expletive) ain’t going to happen.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In7fxPovQ24
This one is a bit confusing. Early Monday afternoon, Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting reported that UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo had done a media scrum in Brazil, during which he announced that he would be fighting interim champion Max Holloway at UFC 208 in a unification match. “He’s saying ‘where’s Aldo?’, you have to talk to the UFC,” Cruz translated Aldo as saying. “About the fight in February, I already knew that, I only didn’t know who I would fight. It was between him and Pettis, whoever won the fight. It’s not something new. This fight will happen on Feb. 11.”
About 90 minutes latest, Damon Martin of Fox Sports posted an article with comments from Holloway. who hadn’t yet committed to fighting on that date. “It’s news to me. I guess we found where Waldo is so I’m glad. It’s time to see what happens. We’re going to talk to the UFC, see what UFC says or see if he’s just trying to (expletive) start some (expletive),” Holloway said. “Like I said, I’m not planning on giving up Christmas and my son’s birthday for something that’s going to be booked and Feb. 11 comes up and we’re going to be (expletive) looking at where’s Jose Waldo.”
Citing not just celebrating Christmas, but also his son’s birthday in January, Holloway wasn’t jumping to take the fight in February. There’s also another reason: He thinks Aldo picked the date strategically to get an advantage. “That guy is crazy,” Holloway said. “I just looked and it’s eight weeks out already. That’s why that mother) wants to fight. He wants me to be all drained out from two training camps in a row but that (expletive) ain’t going to happen.”
Newly-crowned UFC interim featherweight champion Max Holloway didn’t waste any time calling out Jose Aldo after he picked up the biggest win of his MMA career with an impressive TKO of Anthony Pettis in the main event of last Saturday’s (Sat., December 10, 2016) UFC 206 from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Holloway said he was willing
Newly-crowned UFC interim featherweight champion Max Holloway didn’t waste any time calling out Jose Aldo after he picked up the biggest win of his MMA career with an impressive TKO of Anthony Pettis in the main event of last Saturday’s (Sat., December 10, 2016) UFC 206 from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
Holloway said he was willing to face the longtime champion, whom he’s been caling “Jose Waldo” and believes to have a case of “pussyitis,” at February 11’s UFC 208 pay-per-view (PPV) event from Brooklyn, New York, but also wants to enjoy his son’s birthday and Christmas rather than waste a training camp if and when Aldo were to withdraw from the fight.
However, the recently “un-retired” champion told Brazilian media (via MMA Fighting) that the fight will indeed happen on that date, as Aldo was simply waiting to find out who won the fight at UFC 206:
“He’s saying ‘where’s Aldo?’, you have to talk to the UFC,” Aldo said. “About the fight in February, I already knew that, I only didn’t know who I would fight. It was between him and Pettis, whoever won the fight. It’s not something new. This fight will happen on Feb. 11.”
Aldo makes it seem as if his next fight was already scheduled and set in stone, but the fact simply is his next fight was never anything even remotely close to certain after he said he no longer wanted to fight for the UFC anymore after Conor McGregor won the lightweight title at November’s UFC 205 and revealed he would take some time off, presumably never fighting at 145 pounds – where Aldo has been waiting for a rematch ever since “The Notorious” knocked him out in 13 seconds on this very day one year ago.
True, the record-breaking Nova Uniao star is one of the most decorated fighters in MMA history, and his reputation or legacy can never be questioned in MMA circles. But he’s fought only once a year recently, and he’s made exponentially more headlines complaining about one situation or another than for anything he actually did fighting.
That’s a shame for fans, because Aldo was once known as the most indestructible wrecking machine in the sport at one point. Let’s hope he can bring back some of that magic when he supposedly faces Holloway and the massive momentum of his 10-fight win streak on February 11 in Brooklyn.
UFC 206 was in some real trouble. The loss of the Daniel Cormier/Anthony Johnson main event made it seem like the event would be less than stellar. When Anthony Pettis and a number of other fighters missed weight the day before the event it seemed like UFC 206 was doomed (more on that later). But after all was said and done the show ended up being one of the more exciting events of the year, namely for some featherweight action at the top of the card.
UFC 206 was in some real trouble. The loss of the Daniel Cormier/Anthony Johnson main event made it seem like the event would be less than stellar. When Anthony Pettis and a number of other fighters missed weight the day before the event it seemed like UFC 206 was doomed (more on that later). But after all was said and done the show ended up being one of the more exciting events of the year, namely for some featherweight action at the top of the card.
The battle between Donald Cerrone and Matt Brown was one of grit, heart, and skill. Both men traded blows, both men hurt the other, and yet both men still came back for more. It was a display of what two elite level martial artists can accomplish in the cage if they just keep pushing forward. The bout was punctuated by a thrilling head kick knock out suffered by Brown and brilliantly set up by Cerrone. It was emphatic and announced to all the elite welterweights in the division that Cerrone is here to stay at 170 lbs.
The main event was also a great display of technical ability as Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis stood toe to toe trying to figure out riddle of each others styles. It made for a pretty intriguing striking battle in which both men utilized their full range of skills. It’s just unfortunate that Pettis hurt his right hand in the beginning of the fight because things were shaping up to be pretty exciting. If Pettis can find a way to make the weight at featherweight then a rematch between the two is a fight that no one would be arguing against seeing. If not, then at least we were able to see the two clash in a technical main event.
But the main and co-main event aren’t the fights that everyone has been talking about. The real show stealer at UFC 206 was clearly Cub Swanson versus Doo Ho Choi. While Choi looked strong early it was Swanson who would eventually take over and land some hellacious shots on the “Korean Superboy” nearly ending the fight on several occasions. But Choi landed some heavy leather of his own and showed that he wasn’t deterred to having a good old fashioned slugfest. The biggest take away for me in this fight was the chin and the heart of Doo Ho Choi. Like Max Holloway before him, Choi lost and lost emphatically. But this experience is likely to make him an even better fighter. Going through a war like that can sometimes show you what you’re made of and if it didn’t break Choi, it’s likely that it’s sparked a fire within him instead. In the coming years look for Doo Ho Choi to become a real monster in the featherweight division.
What was your favorite fight at UFC 206?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
Kicking off in Toronto, Canada this past Saturday December 10, UFC 206 proved to be a beast of a card. Capping off another double-header of UFC events, the pay-per-view performed strongly in the face of stacked odds. After dramas with Georges St-Pierre, the loss of the main event and Anthony Pettis missing weight, it looked
Kicking off in Toronto, Canada this past Saturday December 10, UFC 206 proved to be a beast of a card. Capping off another double-header of UFC events, the pay-per-view performed strongly in the face of stacked odds. After dramas with Georges St-Pierre, the loss of the main event and Anthony Pettis missing weight, it looked as though UFC 206 was cursed. Although the short notice main event was now only an interim title bout for Max Holloway, this made little difference at the end of the show.
Showing once again that cards can perform well without McGregor or Rousey, at least in terms of entertainment, UFC 206 was spot on. Following such an exciting show, Monday morning will be a mix of joy and sorrow for the card’s competitors. Join us as we recap the action, and pick out who won big, and lost most at UFC 206.
Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Max Holloway
The biggest win of his career puts Max Holloway in a very elite bracket. Joining the top five longest win streaks in UFC history is sweet enough, but to taste UFC gold from his victory is the icing on the proverbial cake. Taking out Anthony Pettis with a third round TKO, ‘Blessed’ now lines himself for a unification bout with Jose Aldo.
Holloway out-struck Pettis in every round, landing significant strikes at 45% accuracy with a total of 98 out of 212. Holloway landed both attempted takedowns while stuffing both of Pettis’. The future is very bright for the streaking Hawaiian, and a legacy defining fight with ‘Scarface’ awaits, hopefully.
Anthony Pettis
Taking away literally nothing from UFC 206, Anthony Pettis had a terrible time. Failing to make weight for the first time in his career, ‘Showtime’ looked a shell of his former self. Even in his drained featherweight debut against Charles Oliveira, Pettis looked promising. Clearly the brutal weight cut, which he couldn’t complete, took a lot from the ex-lightweight champion.
At the least now he knows lightweight is the only viable option, but this will likely provide little comfort after such a one-sided loss. This is the fight game, things are often severely difficult, and 1-4 in his last five fights, let’s hope Pettis is able to turn around his run of bad fortune.
Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Donald Cerrone/Matt Brown
Leading up to round three, Matt Brown was actually ahead in significant strikes landed. Donald Cerrone had arguably won the first frame, and Brown the second, and the third round was where it was all to play for. Needing just four significant strikes to get the job done in style, ‘Cowboy’ came away with another huge KO win. For Cerrone, either a bout with Demian Maia or a title fight are next, dependant on circumstance.
For ‘The Immortal’ its sadly a very different predicament. After his UFC 206 loss, Brown rides three straight defeats, and has won just once in his last six outings. He’s been knocked out twice in a row, and started his current losing streak with a submission loss against Demian Maia. After talk of serious concussion earlier this year, some decisions clearly need to be made. Matt Brown is an awesome guy, great fighter and entertaining to watch, but maybe 36 fights in to his 12-year career, it’s time to consider retirement.
Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski for USA TODAY Sports
Swanson & Choi’s War
Although Cub Swanson took the unanimous decision win, Doo Ho Choi loses zero stock from his first UFC defeat. This fight was thrilling from the first punch to the last, with back-and-forth exchanges keeping us on the edge of our seats. Easily a contender for ‘fight of the year,’ Swanson and Choi had the crowds roaring with excitement during their epic slugger.
‘Killer Cub’ made a huge impression, but perhaps needs one or two more bouts before being considered for a title fight. What’s next? Number one contender bout for Swanson. ‘Korean Superboy’ remains fringe top 10, so perhaps a tune-up is on the cards.
Kelvin Gastelum & Tim Kennedy
This was an extremely ugly fight for Tim Kennedy, who hadn’t seen action since 2014. Returning against the middleweight version of Kelvin Gastelum, Kennedy was met with a painful lesson. ‘Mini Cain’ looked sharper, more conditioned and simply better than Kennedy in every respect. Taking nothing away from Gastelum, Kennedy did look quite rusty.
What’s next? After beating Kennedy by TKO at UFC 206, Gastelum clearly needs to stay at 185 pounds. Barely making or missing weight at 170 pounds just wasn’t working out, and he looked great against the bigger man in Kennedy on Saturday. For the latter, there are some great fights to make at 185 pounds, but perhaps someone like Vitor Belfort or Anderson Silva would make sense. Maybe Uriah Hall?
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