Max Holloway currently holds the BMF belt after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. Despite this, he makes it clear that his real aim is the undisputed UFC lightweight championship.
“I mean, the BMF title is cool, you know?” Holloway told Diana Belbita. “I love it. It takes care of me. It does its job. But the undisputed title is the undisputed title, you know?”
Holloway wants to join the few fighters who have held belts in two divisions.
“I keep telling everybody I want to be [a double champion], there’s very few people that got to be two division champ and I want to put my name. I know people are saying, ‘Oh, but your BMF title!’ It is what it is. That’s cool, but I want an undisputed title. I want to put my name alongside those legends.”
From featherweight champion to lightweight contender
Holloway ruled the featherweight division from 2017 to 2019. His championship reign ended when Alexander Volkanovski defeated him and later won two more fights against him.
Now Holloway is aiming at the lightweight division. His ambition is to fight for and win a recognized UFC title in a second weight class.
“I’m going to be in the UFC as long as I’m in title contention or have a title,” Holloway said. “You know, once I get over that hill where I’m just fighting fights to just fight fights, I don’t want to do it. My name is always in title contention right now. And that’s what keeps me going.”
✨Max Holloway is still hungry to avange his loss to Ilia Topuria ✨👀🔥
“He’s the first man to do what he did to me, and no one else could, so I’ve got to get that one back.”
🎥 @DianaBelbita pic.twitter.com/QctepCMEMV
— Fighters Only (@FightersOnly) March 6, 2026
Ilia Topuria rematch on the horizon
A key fight Holloway wants is a rematch with Ilia Topuria. Topuria defeated him at featherweight, and Holloway hopes the second fight can take place at lightweight.
“I’m not rooting for no one, may the best man win,” Holloway said regarding a possible Topuria vs. Gaethje fight. “But if I had my choice, I want to rematch Ilia100%. He did what he did, he’s the first man that did what he did to me, and no one else could. So I got to get that one back. You know me and Gaethje have history and I know Gaethje wants to get that one back. That would be a fun fight also. But hey, may the best man win and we will see.”
Holloway will face Charles Oliveira at UFC 326. A win there could put him in position for a title shot in the lightweight division.
He also commented on the difference between the BMF belt and an official championship.
“It is what it is, that’s cool,” Holloway said. “But I want an undisputed title.”
Holloway remains focused on training, fighting at the top level, and building toward the goal of becoming a two-division UFC champion while keeping a potential rematch with Topuria in mind.
