The next time Bruce Buffer yells Max Holloway’s name, he will introduce him as the undisputed UFC featherweight champion.
That’s the introduction Max Holloway earned by unifying the championship with that career-defining beatdown of Jose Aldo at UFC 212. It’s the type of preamble that only comes to a king who defends his territory instead of adopting a scorched Earth policy.
Regardless of what Conor McGregor claims, right now, Max Holloway is the greatest featherweight on the planet.
If ‘the Notorious’ wants to prove ‘Blessed’ wrong, he cannot do so with macho posturing and witty sound bites. In order to prove that he is the rightful heir to the 145 lb throne, he must usurp it. However, does anyone really want to see him attempt that again?
It’s amazing to think how popular McGregor’s UFC weigh-ins have always been considering how tough they were to look at when he was fighting at 145 lbs.
The last time he did this at UFC 194, he had to tip the scales at championship weight, as there is no one-pound leeway for a title fight. This was also the dawn of the USADA era, meaning he couldn’t rehydrate with an IV afterwards.
It’s crazy to compare that gaunt, moistureless, cadaver-like figure to the stallion we’ve seen in the Nate Diaz fights at welterweight and his promotional lightweight debut at UFC 205.
While he had the build of a champion at the weigh-ins prior to fighting Eddie Alvarez, it appeared as though he had a tough time making 153 lbs for ‘the Money Fight’ against Floyd Mayweather.
With McGregor looking that much worse cutting an extra 1.4 lbs, imagine what he will be like after losing another eight pounds on top of that again. As tempting as it may be to try and beat a champion he already defeated to a unanimous decision four years ago while he only had one good knee, the smart move would be to leave the featherweight division be.
If he really wants to prove he still has the beating of Holloway, who has racked up 11 wins on the bounce since losing to McGregor, he may have the opportunity to do that at a more comfortable weight. Holloway told Flocombat that a rematch at 155 might be a possibility.
“I’m turning 26, I’m growing, so if that fight happens, it’s probably at (155). Don’t forget your boy is Hawaiian and Samoan. I love to eat. Lightweight is not out of the question.”
While McGregor could claim bragging rights by defeating the Hawaiian at 155, he couldn’t claim that he is the featherweight king with a win at this weight.
In order to be a champion of a division, one must actually be in that division.
