The UFC has a busy July stretch in store as the four-event “Fight Island” showcase in Abu Dhabi is set to take center stage in the MMA world. Four championship bouts are scheduled, with Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns (welterweight title), Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway (featherweight title) and Jose Aldo vs. Petr Yan (bantamweight title) all set for UFC 251 on July 11. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Benavidez (flyweight title) is set for the following week on July 18.
Although every bout with UFC gold on the line has a high level of significance, not all are built the same. MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Farah Hannoun and Simon Samano debate which title affair on “Fight Island” has the most meaning in the latest edition of Triple Take.
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Mike Bohn: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway 2
A valid argument can be made for all four of the title fights, honestly. We’re splitting hairs to a degree with this column, but when I look at all eight men who are scheduled to compete for a belt on “Fight Island,” it seems the most pressure sits on the shoulders of one: [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag].
For that reason, Holloway’s featherweight championship rematch with [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] takes the cake as the most critical matchup with deeper implications than the rest.
It wasn’t long ago when Holloway occupied one of the top spots on many pound-for-pound lists. He held the longest winning streak in the UFC at a dozen fights and was viewed as something of an untouchable champion. The narrative changed big in 2019, though, as Holloway lost two of three fights. The first came against Dustin Poirier in a move up to lightweight for an interim title, then when that didn’t go his way he returned to his division and logged a defense over Frankie Edgar before being matched up with Volkanovski.
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It wasn’t a super lopsided fight by any means, but Holloway’s reign did come to an end at UFC 245 last December when Volkanovski put on an intelligent performance over five rounds to win a decision. The immediate rematch is a double-edged sword for Holloway, because while he could win and make this brief window without the belt look like a mere hiccup, a loss puts him in a bit of a box at 145 pounds.
We’ve seen how challenging it can be for a fighter when they have two losses to the current champion, and that’s a reality Holloway could soon encounter. I think lightweight still remains a possibility, and he’d do well there with the appropriate time to adapt his body, but there’s no guarantees he’ll enjoy the same level of championship success at 155 pounds.
There’s a whole lot hanging in the balance for Holloway, here, and that makes his fight the most compelling in my book.
Next page – Farah Hannoun: Jose Aldo vs. Petr Yan