Though Max Holloway believes he should currently be the featherweight champion, he is soothed by the sounds of the majority opinion.
Alexander Volkanovski won a convincing decision over Max Holloway at UFC 241 but at UFC 251, the outcome was much more contested. The rematch was a split-decision victory for Volkanovski unlike the unanimous decision earned seven months prior. As painful as it is to be on the wrong end of a split decision, particularly in a title fight, Max Holloway believes that a 90/10 ratio is more significant than a 2/1.
“Me personally, I don’t really think that it matters if I won the fight,” Holloway told ESPN recently. “What matters to me is what most people think…It doesn’t matter what I think. But the UFC, you guys, the world — they can see. 80 to 90 percent of the world thinks I won. That’s what matters to them and that’s what matters to me.”
What means the most to Max Holloway is the fact that his peers felt the same way as he believes the majority of fans did: that it was his hand that should have been raised that night.
“They were sticking their necks out for me,” Holloway said. “And these aren’t fans, they’re fighters. Jorge [Masvidal], Nate [Diaz], Dustin [Poirier], Justin [Gaethje], the list goes on. Even [MMA managers Ali Abdelaziz and Malki and Abe Kawa.] All these guys cannot agree on what color the sky is, but they agreed on one thing that night.”
At this point, there is nothing Max Holloway can do about the judges’ decision rendered on July 12, 2020. But if he had it his way, he and Volkanovski would have continued fighting indefinitely until the judges saw what he believes to be the truth: He was the better fighter that night. And the desire to fight Volkanovski did not expire when the event ended. On the contrary, it burns with the rage of a true competitor who is eager to correct an injustice.
“This guy is sitting at a place that’s not right with me,” Holloway said. “I don’t feel like it’s right. Are we gonna fight again? It’s up to him. If I had it my way, I’ll fight you 10 times in one night, 10 times once a month. I’m a competitor. I need to compete. I truly believe I was put on this earth to fight and compete.”
Max Holloway will next be competing against Calvin Kattar in the main event of the January 16, 2021 Fight Night. Perhaps with a win, he will earn his third crack at getting his hand raised opposite Alexander Volkanovski.
Do you agree with Max Holloway? Is it wrong that Alexander Volkanovski is the current UFC featherweight champion?
