Max Holloway didn’t hold back when responding to Jean Silva’s unexpected challenge for a BMF title fight at the rumored UFC White House card next year.
Earlier this month, Silva publicly expressed his dream of sharing the Octagon with Holloway on what could be one of the UFC’s most historic cards. But with Silva coming off a knockout loss to Diego Lopes in September’s Noche UFC main event, Holloway wasn’t exactly buying into the idea.
Me vs Max Holloway for the BMF at the white house would be dream fight rn
— Jean “Lord” Silva (@Jeansilvamma96) October 9, 2025
When a fan brought up Silva’s tweet during a live stream on Kick, Holloway’s reaction was blunt — and very on-brand for the Hawaiian star.
“Is he smoking drugs? Holy fck,” Holloway said on Kick. “Did he not see what Diego Lopes just did to him? This guy’s got to be trolling us, bro. … That motherfcker’s still concussed, bro.
Whatever he’s saying, we’re not going to take it serious. Dude, stay concussed, bro.”
Max Holloway’s reaction to Jean Silva calling him out
“Is he smoking drugs? Holy f***. Did he not see what Diego Lopes just did to him? That mother f***er is still concussed bro.” 😭😭
🎥 @BlessedMMA pic.twitter.com/vVxSf0k9xg
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 19, 2025
Holloway, who’s fresh off a five-round victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 in July, appeared both amused and bewildered by Silva’s challenge. The reigning BMF champion, who’s currently riding a career resurgence, clearly isn’t entertaining the idea of facing someone coming off a loss — especially one he believes needs recovery time more than cage time.
Charles Oliveira Steps Up With a Challenge of His Own
While Holloway brushed off Silva’s request, another familiar name showed genuine interest — former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
Following his submission win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio, Oliveira called for a rematch with Holloway, this time for the BMF belt. Their first encounter years ago in Saskatoon ended abruptly when Oliveira sustained a neck injury just 99 seconds into the fight.
This time, Holloway seems open to the idea. He admitted he’d rather fight sooner than wait for the potential June event at the White House.
“The White House card is just so far away,” Holloway said after UFC Rio. “It’s like a year, boys. I don’t know if I want to wait that long but we’ll see what happens.
Never say never. It’s so far away. If we take that fight, it’s almost going to be a year I’m out of competition if the fight happens on the White House card.”
At 33, Holloway (27–8) continues to thrive in both the featherweight and lightweight divisions. His highlight-reel knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, followed by a tactical win over Poirier, has put him back in prime position for another title run.
A rematch with Ilia Topuria, or a superfight with Oliveira, could be next on the radar — but Holloway seems determined to stay active rather than sit on the sidelines.
And while Jean Silva’s bold challenge might have caught headlines for a moment, it seems Holloway has other, more realistic targets in sight.
