The branding of Fight Island has already garnered the UFC massive success. Along with masterful marketing, Abu Dhabi has also produced instantaneous classic fights. One of the most controversial fights on the island so far has been the UFC featherweight title rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. As fans watched in real-time, the majority of viewership was stunned when Volk ultimately got his hand raised in victory. Various fighters and referees voiced their opinions about their fight along with fans. Even former UFC fighter and current analyst Kenny Florian believes that the judges got the result of the fight between Holloway and Volkanovski wrong.
Featherweight Title on Fight Island
Holloway suffered a controversial split decision defeat to Alexander Volkanovski during the matchup last weekend. Max was able to knock down Volkanovski in the first and second rounds. Furthermore, he delivered a more agreeable performance overall compared to their first meeting back in December. And, while Alex did perform better in the final three rounds, many observers felt Holloway did more than enough to become a featherweight champion again. Especially John McCarthy and Kenny Florian.
Florian Speaks about Holloway vs Volkanovski on Fight Island
Florian spoke about the matchup on his hit podcast alongside Jon Anik. And while Holloway took the loss respectfully, the rest of the world, including KenFlo, were vocal about the shocking decision.
“It’s unfortunate, man. Max Holloway made some amazing adjustments. First of all, that’s the old Holloway. Holloway decided not to be a boxer anymore. He was way lighter on that lead kick, so he didn’t take damage to the calf-like he did in that first fight, said Florian. “He was moving in and out. And was mixing up his strikes, something that Holloway hasn’t done in a very long time. And wouldn’t you know it he was extremely effective with it, knocking down Volkanovski, hurting Volkanovski throughout that fight, confusing Volkanovski throughout that fight.”
What’s Next for Holloway
As the conversation continued, Florian expressed how he believes the judges got the result wrong. But, he wouldn’t call the loss a robbery like the majority of MMA Twitter expressed.
“To call this a robbery, I think is false. It was a close fight but I do think the judges got it wrong, continued Kenny. “Would’ve loved to have seen a trilogy, I still think it’s warranted but you gotta wonder what this does for Max Holloway and where this puts him. I wouldn’t be surprised to see if he goes up to 155 to try to mix things up a little bit. I don’t know, who’s there at 145 that he hasn’t beaten already where he needs to get back to the top? Don’t know, it’s just kind of a confusing time for Holloway at this point.”
Overall, the general consensus seems to be that Holloway should have walked away from Fight Island with the accolades of being a two-time champion. For now, fans will just have to wait and see what is next for Max Holloway.
