ABU DHABI – [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] has heard the rumblings since he revealed the limits placed on his training ahead of UFC 251.
“Blessed” openly admitted to ESPN that he didn’t participate in any sparring during his prep for this weekend’s event, and that he didn’t even work with his coaches in person – choices he made to protect everyone’s health and safety during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
But Holloway wants to make one thing clear: If you think that’s a problem, thing again.
“I know everybody’s blowing their mind, tripping out,” Holloway told MMA Junkie. “I’ve been fighting my whole life. I’ve been fighting since I was 16. That’s a long time. I did a lot of sparring in that time. In the beginning of my career, all I really did was spar. This is another fight, at the end of the day.”
Holloway (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) faces Alexander Volkanovski (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) at UFC 251, which takes place Saturday at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
It’s a rematch of the pair’s meeting this past December, which Volkanovski won by unanimous decision, taking away Holloway’s featherweight title in the process. Holloway still believes he did enough to win that night but refuses to make any excuses or complain about the result.
“Never leave a fight to the judges; they’ll make you cry,” Holloway said. “No excuses. I thought I did enough, but obviously it wasn’t. There’s three guys’ decisions that matter. They all went the other way.
“When (Saturday) comes, I get to prove that I’m one of the best guys in the world still, and I just can’t wait. This time, I’m going in there and do my thing, and hopefully we won’t need the judges.”
Volkanovksi brings an incredible 18-fight winning streak into the contest and is undefeated through his first eight UFC appearances. Holloway said he certainly learned plenty in his previous 25 minutes in the cage with Volkanovski but isn’t assuming anything in the rematch.
He also knows not to put too much stock into anything “The Great” says ahead of the contest.
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“I’m a fighter, and that’s what we do,” Holloway said. “It’s only a loss if you never learned. I learned a lot, and I found a lot about myself that night. But at the end of the day, I don’t know what he’s going to do. I can’t really take what he says too serious.
“Last time, before the fight, he said he was going to take me down and TKO me, and we all know that didn’t happen, so I’m just ready for the best version of him. I can’t wait to go out there and do my thing.”
Holloway insists there’s no added pressure in gaining his belt back, no responsibility to prove anything that may have come into doubt with his December setback. With eight years in the UFC and a track record that many believe qualifies him as the greatest featherweight of all-time, Holloway isn’t attaching any added meaning to the fight other than winning back his title.
“Go watch this guy’s interviews; the guy’s got a chip on his shoulder,” Holloway said. “He’s talking like he’s mad. People are still treating me like I’m the champ, you know? I’ve got five belts – five titles at home in my closet. This due can go out there and beat me twice. I’m still going to have five titles in my closet. You can’t take that away from me. It’s just another fight to me.
“I know I’m a champion. I carry myself as a champion, belt or no belt. People see my as a champion, so I’m going to go out there, fight my fight, have the fight of my life, and have fun.”
In many ways, Holloway is absolutely right. Despite being just 28, his legacy is already secure, and he remains among the most popular and beloved figured in the UFC. But the proud Hawaiian certainly hasn’t lost his competitive edge, and he clearly wants to reign atop the UFC’s featherweight division once again.
But does Volkanovski, as many suggested following their December battle, simply have Holloway’s number? The former champ certainly doesn’t believe it, and he believes even with a pandemic-impacted training camp under his belt, he’s more than ready to take back his crown.
“I’ve been in the cage with this guy before; I know what he brings to the table,” Holloway said. “I know a lot of his game. I can’t wait. Going out there, this fight, I got to actually focus on me, focus on my body, focus on recovery, and I feel great, man.
“It’s going to be a sight to see. I guarantee you guys are going to get to see it come (Saturday). Make sure you tune in, only live on ESPN+ pay-per-view. I’ll be there. I’ll be waiting, and it’s going to be a show, I promise.”
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