The sting of losing the UFC featherweight championship really didn’t weigh heavily on Max Holloway after falling to Alexander Volkanovski last December.
While many called him the best 145-pound fighter of all time, Holloway never bought the hype or praise that surrounded his title reign and instead focused on the next contender who was in line to face him.
He wore that same attitude of his loss to Volkanovski, as Holloway planned to face whoever the UFC put before him next, but eventually the promotion decided to do an immediate rematch now scheduled for July 11 on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
It turns out that Holloway didn’t even need to request the fight because he says it was Volkanovski who requested another showdown with him as the Australian seeks to consolidate his champion status.
“I didn’t ask for a rematch,” Holloway revealed when he spoke to MMA Fighting. “I didn’t need to. He asked for it “.
Automatic rematches for former champions can be tricky territory because a second consecutive loss means that the chances of getting a third chance against the same fighter are virtually impossible.
In recent history, only Stipe Miocic has succeeded in an immediate rematch after avenging a previous loss to Daniel Cormier with a fourth-round TKO to claim the heavyweight title last August. Before that, several former champions fell short of their offers to regain gold.
Frankie Edgar defeated BJ Penn to become champion and then solidified his status as the world’s best 155-pound fighter with another victory over the UFC Hall of Famer. Edgar then suffered the same fate after losing his title to Benson Henderson and then fell short in a near-sharp decision in the rematch.
As the longest reigning middleweight champion in company history, Anderson Silva definitely deserved another chance against Chris Weidman after falling to him in their first meeting. Sadly, the rematch ended devastatingly after Silva broke his leg in the second round during a surprising exchange.
Holloway was actually responsible for delivering Aldo’s consecutive losses after they met on two consecutive occasions as well.
Despite the odds apparently against him, the 28-year-old Hawaiian isn’t thinking much about what this rematch means or the chances of a victory setting up a third matchup with Volkanovski in the future.
“There is no pressure,” Holloway said. “I am 0-0 in every fight. You know this, my man.
“The next fight is always the most important. This is how it works with the UFC, if you’re actually asking for the toughest fights. They give it to you if that’s what you want, and you know me. You know what I always ask for.
While downplaying the importance of immediate rematch, Holloway knows how much is at stake when he steps foot in the octagon this Saturday night at UFC 251.
On top of all that, he had to deal with a less-than-ideal training ground due to the COVID-19 outbreak that swept the world and forced Hawaiians to make many shared sacrifices to slow the spread of the deadly disease.
In fact, Holloway did most of his work at home while talking to his coaches through Zoom and without any combat partners to push him through rounds at a time. He stayed healthy, which is a change of pace from the usual rigors of an intense training camp, and Holloway is the last person in the world to make excuses, especially considering what other people were facing thanks to the coronavirus.
Instead of complaining, Holloway put her extra energy into those who needed it most.
“It is going to be a long way for Hawaii,” said Holloway. “Unemployment is one of the highest in the United States because we are highly dependent on tourism. When things got bad, we were hit by dozens of charities. Most importantly, people need to eat, which is why we are working with Hawaii FoodBank. We have already done some things and we have several more in process. I hope to announce a couple more great campaigns next week.
“I have to spend more time with [my family]. I have to restart. But yes, Hawaii is having difficulties. For my team, we have prioritized charity work, so now we have many things on the way. It’s always on our list, but now it’s half our list. It’s a different world and we have a responsibility to Hawaii. “
While the spikes of COVID-19 have begun to reappear across the United States, Holloway is set to turn his full attention back to the fights beginning with his title fight this weekend.
If all goes well, Holloway will return home with a title to lift the spirits of his friends and family at home, and then he hopes the featherweight division will be a little more active again.
“I always try to keep a high pace,” said Holloway. “I fought my last four title fights in 12 months. If I won in [UFC] 245 I probably would have tried to fight on the March card to be honest.
“So, it is what it is. When I can dictate the pace of the division, things move faster.”
