If you know Max Holloway, then you know the Blessed Express waits for no man.
The former featherweight champ lost two extremely close bouts with Alexander Volkanovski, yet was still considered to be next for the title after rebounding with a career defining performance against Calvin Kattar. Instead, Holloway is set to take on a returning Yair Rodriguez this weekend, in the UFC Vegas 42.
Speaking on The MMA Hour, Holloway explained why he decided to take this fight, rather than wait for the title shot like some other people. He says that he was willing to take on anyone the UFC put in front of him, because he is not trying to wait in line for a title shot.
“My reaction was everybody, every time, everywhere. The UFC, they don’t have this tournament structure. So a lot of these guys, they’re just waiting at the elevator. They’re waiting at the elevator to go to the top. I’m not an elevator waiter, there’s no line at the stairs. So that’s where you can find me, at the stairs. This is not new for us at all. For me and my team, it’s very important to not be elevator divas, you know? I want to just get out there and keep doing the damn thing.” Holloway said.
“Everybody else can figure out, you guys can choose who the elevator divas is in this sport, but you know your boy be at the stage, and we be running up and down those bad boys.”
That said, Max Holloway was clearly the next in line, had he decided to wait for the winner of Alexander Volkanovski vs Brian Ortega. He said that the UFC even told him that he could just wait for that fight, but he wanted to get another bout in before the end of the year.
“I didn’t want to wait ’til New Year. I wanted to keep on fighting. Everywhere, everyone, at anytime. Let’s get it. The UFC told us, they told us we didn’t have to, they told us we could wait it out. But I was like, ‘I ain’t about that, I ain’t about that.’ I talked to my team, I let my team know, and they were all on board, and here we are today.”
With a win over Yair Rodriguez this weekend, it is hard to imagine any other option besides Max Holloway fighting for the title next. That said, he has a tough test ahead of him, and he is well aware of it.
