- Max Holloway discussed his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308
- “Blessed” got brutally honest with “El Matador” claiming the BMF title
- The former champ is open to facing Dustin Poirier
Max Holloway shared his thoughts on his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, the BMF title and the possibility of facing Dustin Poirier.
‘Game of inches’
Speaking to the media after his tough loss, “Blessed” assessed Topuria’s performance and insisted that nothing was surprising about his opponent. For Holloway, it was just about wrong calculation of distance that saw him getting hit badly in their last exchange.
“No [there’s nothing Topuria did that surprised me]. Not at all… Game of inches, man. Game of inches. He landed something that I found myself looking at him, up from the ground. It is what it is,” Holloway said.
Max Holloway reacts to his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria:
“Game of inches man. Game of inches.”#UFC #MMA #UFC308 pic.twitter.com/RZmUK7OzI9
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 26, 2024
Max on Ilia carrying the BMF
When asked about his reaction to Topuria parading all over the press conference with the BMF belt on his shoulder, Holloway said that it doesn’t make any sense as the BMF title was won in a different weight class. Moreover, UFC president Dana White reiterated that it wasn’t on the line.
“It is what it is. Could you imagine Islam [Makhachev] walking around with two belts after knocking out [featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski]?” Holloway said. “Let that sink in. The belt was in a different weight class for a reason. I think the fans make it happen, if the UFC really wanted to make it happen they would have put it up, but Dana said what he said, so he’s the boss man,” Holloway said.
Max Holloway reacts to Ilia Topuria carrying the BMF belt around after his win:
“Could you imagine Islam walking around with two belts after knocking out Volk? Let that sink in.
The belt was in a different weight class for a different reason.”#UFC #MMA #UFC308 pic.twitter.com/8Xx0ryPzlL
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 26, 2024
What’s next for Max
Holloway also didn’t shy away from addressing his future. According to the former featherweight champ, he and his team are not in hurry to bounce back but a move to lightweight sounds interesting.
When asked about possibly facing Poirier in “The Diamond’s” retirement fight, “Blessed” enthusiastically agreed.
“We’re going to sit down with the team and relax, there’s nothing needed to be rushing back right now, you know. I’ll probably try coming back in the summer… Big July card, right? in Las Vegas. Do something [there], we’ll see what happens… 55 looks really good right now,” Holloway teased.
https://x.com/ChampRDS/status/1850301923829624871
“That’d be nice. ‘The Diamond,’ sign me up bro. I love that guy. I got nothing but respect for the guy but he is up 2-0 against my a**, and I don’t have the best luck against people who are 2-0 against me, so I guess I gotta try that one again,” he added.
https://x.com/ChampRDS/status/1850304443171934609
Moving on
On X, Holloway also publicly addressed his devastating defeat. In a heartfelt note, “Blessed” hinted at moving on and refusing to succumb to dejection.
“Sometimes you get an highlight then sometimes you’re the highlight. This is why mma is the craziest sport in the world. Congrats to the El Matador. As to my family, friends and supporters, we good! The Blessed Express ain’t stopping here. We on our way to a new destination. Make sure you have your ticket, get excited. Thank you all for the love and support!,” Holloway wrote.
Sometimes you get an highlight then sometimes you’re the highlight. This is why mma is the craziest sport in the world. Congrats to the El Matador. As to my family, friends and supporters, we good! The Blessed Express ain’t stopping here. We on our way to a new destination. Make… pic.twitter.com/R0HpYdxSCI
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) October 27, 2024
Holloway’s loss to Topuria was the first knockout loss in his pro MMA career. The last time Holloway was finished was in 2012 when Poirier submitted him at UFC 143. He now has a 26-8 MMA record.
