It is safe to say that nobody who watched Max Holloway batter Calvin Kattar walked away unimpressed. That even includes lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Khabib was on Fight Island and got to see Holloway vs Kattar in person. He was there to speak with Dana White about potentially fighting again, and stuck around for the fight.
So he was able to watch firsthand, as Holloway put on a masterclass against Kattar, with the pair setting 12 new striking records. It was one of the most dominant performances ever seen, without a fight being stopped.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov Says Max Holloway Is The Best
Like all of us, Khabib Nurmagomedov was rather impressed by what he saw out of Max Holloway. He spoke in a brief interview after the fight, to discuss how incredible of a showing it was.
He did not hesitant to say that this was Max’s best performance ever. In fact, he thinks that despite the fact Max has won and defended the title, he has not even reached his prime yet.
“I think about Max, he is already one of the best to ever compete in MMA. He’s one of the best, and maybe, probably he is the best featherweights of all time,” Khabib said.
“I think it was his best performance. And when we look at Max, he’s not old. He has a lot of fights in the UFC, but he’s how old? 28, 29 something like this?
“I think his prime time is coming. It’s not come yet. I think this year or maybe next year is going to be his prime time. It was not when he was champion.
“I think his time is going to come, he’s going stay focused, doing everything that he has to do… I think his time’s going to come maybe the end of this year, maybe next year.
“It was his best performance. I believe he has potential to be more of a great fighter than he already is.”
One of the big talking points after the fight was Max Holloway proclaiming himself to be the best boxer in the UFC while fighting. While Khabib Nurmagomedov is not convinced that he is the very best, he admits that Max’s stand up is ultra elite.
“About the best boxer, I’m not sure, but he’s one of the best for sure, and his cardio, I think he has very good cardio, very good chin, and now he’s experienced.
“It was his best performance, but in the future he has a couple years to show it and maybe be the best fighter of all time.”
What do you think of this assessment of Max Holloway by Khabib Nurmagomedov?
