Defining Fights: UFC 251 co-headliner Max Holloway

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head looks back through the fights that helped define the career of former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway.

Anthony Pettis at UFC 206 – Dec. 10, 2016

Holloway got his first shot at championship gold at UFC 206 and he didn’t waste his chance as he finished former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis to capture the interim featherweight title in Toronto.

Holloway extended his winning streak to 10 with a third-round TKO stoppage of “Showtime” after mixing up his offense brilliantly to overpower Pettis and claim the No. 1 contender spot at 145 pounds.

In a comprehensive performance, Holloway dropped Pettis with punches and chopped him to the ground with leg kicks, all while avoiding “Showtime’s” own striking attack as he hit top gear and put an exclamation point alongside his call for a shot at then-champ Jose Aldo.

“We’re trying to fight Aldo, so I thought I’d call him Waldo – Jose Waldo,” said Holloway after his win. “Hashtag Jose Waldo, and tell him (to) meet me in Brooklyn in February. Let’s get the real one!”

Watch Max Holloway vs. Anthony Pettis on UFC Fight Pass

Next up: Upgrading the gold