A move up to lightweight is an inevitability for Max Holloway.
Undisputed featherweight champion Max Holloway isn’t short of challenges in his division. If he beats Frankie Edgar in UFC 222’s main event, there will be plenty of fighters taking aim at the target on his back.
Looking down the rankings, you’ll see a long list of fighters who are closing in on that title shot. Brian Ortega, Darren Elkins, Josh Emmett, Jeremy Stephens, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Renato Moicano, Mirsad Bektic and Yair Rodriguez are just some of rising contenders in the mix.
There are enough match-ups at 145 lbs for ‘Blessed’ to achieve his desired legend status. And while he aims to move up to lightweight eventually, he may be forced to switch divisions sooner than anticipated.
It’s coming pic.twitter.com/0fmM5fUzzW
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) January 28, 2018
On Monday’s MMA Hour, Holloway revealed that the promotion are constantly contacting him about his weight. This started happening after his unanimous decision win over Ricardo Lamas at UFC 199 and continued up until the recent rematch against Jose Aldo.
“After my last four fights, I’ve gotten emailed by the UFC about my weight about their nutritionists at the PI (Performance Institute). Look UFC, stop sending me damn emails. I have the got the best nutritionist in the game. His name is Tyler Minton. We make the damn weight.”
Holloway’s a big featherweight, but he has never weighed in over the limit. That being said, if the UFC were to introduce new measures, he believes his featherweight career may be over.
“Medically, if they change a couple of things around, I’m probably not going to be able for 145 lbs. If it happens, it happens. Medically, if the UFC add more rules, I’ll most definitely have to step up, but right now, they didn’t. I’m a 45-er.”
“If they start passing more medical stuff, I probably won’t (be able to make 145 lbs). I’ve never missed weight in my life, so I don’t know why they’re giving me a hard time. But if they pass more rules, I probably won’t be medically able to pass it. 155 might come sooner rather than later. We’ll see what happens.”
It is what it is.
