Tag: Max Holloway

Top 10 MMA fighters of the 2010s: Discussion video, facts about our list

How did we reach our overall list, and did we get it right?

In pitching the MMA Junkie staff on coming up with a composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the 2010s, I had people asking me about the criteria. My answer was simple: There is no criteria. Whatever you think it means to be among the 10 greatest fighters of the last decade, that’s the criteria.

To me, it’s better this way. I could’ve emphasized in-cage results, in which case No. 1 ends up being [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] without question. Same for emphasizing impact on the sport: [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] comes out on top easily. But what fun would that have been? There’s so much more to consider when trying to pick the top 10 fighters of the last 10 years among a pool of talent that never has been better.

The beauty of our list is that all 14 MMA Junkie staff members, who’ve spent so many years covering the sport, submitted individual top 10 lists. No discussion, no debate, no one person’s bias determined our final rankings. We all had a say in this. From there, it was a matter of mathematics – add up points for each fighter ranked and divide by 14 to determine the final rankings.

Did we get it right? There’s no such thing with these lists. But I’d like to think ours is as official as it gets.

For reaction to our top 10, watch the roundtable discussion video above with MMA Junkie’s John Morgan and Dan Tom, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

Below is a ranking of all 26 fighters included, as well as notes about our list.

COMPLETE RANKINGS

1. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]
2. [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag]
3. [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag]
4. [autotag]Georges St. Pierre[/autotag]
5. Conor McGregor
6. [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]
7. [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag]
8. Khabib Nurmagomedov
9. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]
10. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]
11. [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag]
12. [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag]
13. [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag]
14. [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]
15. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]
16. [autotag]Cain Velasquez[/autotag]
17. [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]
18. [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag]
19-t. [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag]
19-t. [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]
21. [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag]
22-t. [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag]
22-t. [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag]
24. [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag]
25. [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag]
26. [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag]

NOTES

  • 26 different fighters were included in at least one staff member’s top 10
  • 8 different fighters were included in only one ranking
  • Individual No. 1 rankings: Jon Jones (7), Demetrious Johnson (3), Georges St-Pierre (2), Daniel Cormier (1), Ronda Rousey (1)
  • Cormier was the only fighter to be included in each of the 14 rankings.
  • Jones and Conor McGregor each were excluded from one staff member’s list.
  • Of 8 fighters included in only one ranking, Cain Velasquez was highest (No. 3); Eddie Alvarez was lowest (No. 10).

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Mike Bohn, senior reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Jose Aldo
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Anderson Silva
6. Conor McGregor
7. Max Holloway
8. Tony Ferguson
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Daniel Cormier

Dave Doyle, senior editor
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Daniel Cormier
3, Jon Jones
4. Anderson Silva
5. Georges St-Pierre
6. Cris Cyborg
7. Jose Aldo
8. Khabib Nurmagomedov
9. Conor McGregor
10. Eddie Alvarez

Matt Erickson, assistant managing editor
1. Daniel Cormier
2. Demetrious Johnson
3. Amanda Nunes
4. Conor McGregor
5. Max Holloway
6. Patricio Freire
7. Ronda Rousey
8. Georges St-Pierre
9. Ryan Bader
10. Jose Aldo

Brian Garcia, MMA Junkie Radio host
1. Georges St-Pierre
2. Jon Jones
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Henry Cejudo
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Khabib Nurmagomedov
7. Stipe Miocic
8. Amanda Nunes
9. Max Holloway
10. Ryan Bader

George Garcia, MMA Junkie Radio host
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Khabib Nurmagomedov
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Amanda Nunes
7. Cris Cyborg
8. Stipe Miocic
9. Conor McGregor
10. Henry Cejudo

Farah Hannoun, reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Ronda Rousey
3. Conor McGregor
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Amanda Nunes
8. Max Holloway
9. Stipe Miocic
10. Henry Cejudo

Ken Hathaway, senior video editor
1. Jon Jones
2. Amanda Nunes
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Max Holloway
5. Conor McGregor
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Georges St-Pierre
8. Anderson Silva
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Cris Cyborg

Simon Head, reporter
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Daniel Cormier
3. Jon Jones
4. Amanda Nunes
5. Donald Cerrone
6. Georges St-Pierre
7. Conor McGregor
8. Douglas Lima
9. Cris Cyborg
10. Michael Bisping

Nolan King, reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Daniel Cormier
3. Amanda Nunes
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Max Holloway
6. Stipe Miocic
7. Georges St. Pierre
8. Jose Aldo
9. Conor McGregor
10. Khabib Nurmagomedov

John Morgan, lead staff reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Conor McGregor
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Georges St-Pierre
5. Daniel Cormier
6. Demetrious Johnson
7. Amanda Nunes
8. Jose Aldo
9. Michael Bisping
10. Donald Cerrone

Simon Samano, managing editor
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Jon Jones
4. Daniel Cormier
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Amanda Nunes
7. Tony Ferguson
8. Conor McGregor
9. Ronda Rousey
10. Max Holloway

Danny Segura, reporter
1. Ronda Rousey
2. Jon Jones
3. Cain Velasquez
4. Georges St-Pierre
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Jose Aldo
7. Cris Cyborg
8. Conor McGregor
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Daniel Cormier

Abbey Subhan, video editor
1. Georges St-Pierre
2. Conor McGregor
3. Jon Jones
4. Daniel Cormier
5. Amanda Nunes
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Frankie Edgar
8. Anderson Silva
9. Carlos Condit
10. Ronda Rousey

Dan Tom, fight analyst
1. Jon Jones
2. Jose Aldo
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
4. Dominick Cruz
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Conor McGregor
7. Ronda Rousey
8. Daniel Cormier
9. Max Holloway
10. Tony Ferguson

Top 10 MMA fighters of the 2010s

Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones are among those selected by MMA Junkie as the greatest fighters of the decade.

The 2010s, arguably the most important decade in the history of mixed martial arts, is coming to a close. One reason why the years 2010 to 2019 have been so pivotal to the sport is the sheer talent that exists across all divisions – men and women, from flyweight (which didn’t even exist until February 2012) to heavyweight. Simply put, the number of great fighters to grace cages and rings across the world never has been higher.

Here at MMA Junkie, we’ve put together a composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the past decade. All 14 staff members submitted personal top-10 lists to create our overall list. Rest assured: We took this seriously. 

Without further ado, our complete list:

10. Max Holloway

[jwplayer OiSwEOOD-RbnemIYZ]

Decade resume

  • Record: 21-5
  • UFC featherweight champion: June 3, 2017-Dec. 14, 2019
  • 13-fight winning streak
  • Key victories over Anthony Pettis, Jose Aldo (twice), Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar

Read more from senior reporter Mike Bohn

9. Jose Aldo

[jwplayer T72WHk3L-RbnemIYZ]

Decade resume

  • Record: 12-5
  • WEC featherweight champion: April 24, 2010-Sept. 30, 2010
  • UFC featherweight champion: Oct. 28, 2010-Dec. 12, 2015; July 9, 2016-June 3, 2017
  • 9-fight winning streak
  • Key victories over Urijah Faber, Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes (twice), Frankie Edgar (twice), Chan Sung Jung

Read more from reporter Nolan King

8. Khabib Nurmagomedov

[jwplayer y30zaWDp-RbnemIYZ]

Decade resume

  • Record: 21-0
  • UFC lightweight champion: April 7, 2018-present
  • Key victories: Rafael dos Anjos, Al Iaquinta, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier

Read more from reporter Farah Hannoun

7. Ronda Rousey

[jwplayer dCL2oc6k-RbnemIYZ]

Decade resume

  • Record: 12-2
  • Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion: March 3, 2012-Aug. 18, 2012
  • UFC women’s bantamweight champion: Feb. 23, 2013-Nov. 15, 2015
  • 12-fight winning streak
  • Key victories: Miesha Tate (twice), Liz Carmouche, Sara McMann

Read more from lead staff reporter John Morgan

6. Amanda Nunes

[jwplayer JJKKErpq-RbnemIYZ]

Decade resume

  • Record: 15-3
  • UFC women’s bantamweight champion: Dec. 30, 2016-present
  • UFC women’s featherweight champion: Dec. 29, 2018-present
  • 10-fight winning streak
  • Key victories: Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko (twice), Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm

Read more from reporter Farah Hannoun

5. Conor McGregor

[jwplayer uJ11p5Au-RbnemIYZ]

Decade resume

  • Record: 18-3
  • UFC featherweight champion: July 11, 2015-Nov. 26, 2016
  • UFC lightweight champion: Nov. 12, 2016-April 7, 2018
  • 15-fight winning streak
  • Key victories: Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Nate Diaz, Eddie Alvarez

Read more from reporter Simon Head

4. Georges St-Pierre

[jwplayer UA8TfXGj-RbnemIYZ]

Decade resume

  • Record: 7-0
  • UFC welterweight champion: Jan. 1, 2010-Dec. 13, 2013
  • UFC middleweight champion: Nov. 4, 2017-Dec. 7, 2017
  • Key victories: Dan Hardy, Josh Koscheck, Jake Shields, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz, Johny Hendricks, Michael Bisping

Read more from reporter Danny Segura

3. Daniel Cormier

[jwplayer Ydqz2oOt-RbnemIYZ]

Decade resume

  • Record: 21-2
  • UFC light heavyweight champion: May 23, 2015-Dec. 28, 2018
  • UFC heavyweight champion: July 7, 2018-Aug. 17, 2019
  • 15-fight winning streak
  • Key victories: Josh Barnett, Frank Mir, Dan Henderson, Anthony Johnson (twice), Alexander Gustafsson, Anderson Silva, Stipe Miocic, Derrick Lewis

Read more from senior reporter Mike Bohn

2. Demetrious Johnson

[jwplayer ZkRRq52l-RbnemIYZ]

Decade resume

  • Record: 22-3-1
  • UFC flyweight champion: Sept. 22, 2012-Aug. 4, 2018
  • ONE championship flyweight grand prix winner
  • 13-fight winning streak, including UFC record for consecutive title defenses (11)
  • Key victories: Joseph Benavidez (twice), John Dodson (twice), Henry Cejudo, Kyoji Horiguchi, Ray Borg

Read more from senior editor Dave Doyle

1. Jon Jones

[jwplayer J6VXWWCi-RbnemIYZ]

Decade resume

  • Record: 16-0
  • UFC light heavyweight champion: March 19, 2011-April 28, 2015; April 23, 2016-Nov. 9, 2016 (interim); Dec. 29, 2018-present
  • Key victories: Ryan Bader, “Shogun” Rua, “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Alexander Gustafsson (twice), Daniel Cormier

Read more from lead staff reporter John Morgan

Max Holloway pays classy tribute to Alexander Volkanovski just days after UFC 245 loss

Max Holloway continues to be one of the classiest people in the fight game.

Max Holloway’s lengthy run as the UFC’s featherweight champ came to end last Saturday night in Las Vegas when he lost to Alexander Volkanovski via unanimous decision after five very good rounds.

Holloway was a great champion inside the Octagon and an even better man and father outside of it as he continued to grow after winning the belt in 2017.

As crushing as Saturday night’s loss must have been, Holloway handled everything with class in his post-fight interview as he praised Volkanovski and said he’d be back.

On Tuesday Holloway shared this classy message about the new champ, who he will likely face again down the line:

He was willing to fight for an interim belt. If he couldn’t fight me he was willing to fight anybody even fighters ranked below him. When you’re a champ everybody is below you so Alex was carrying the weight of that belt before Dana wrapped it around his waist. Happy for Alex and Emma and their daughters, and Australia. Same ocean, different waves. See you in the lineup again

Here’s the Instagram post that went with it:

All class their from Holloway, which is to be expected.

 

All class: Max Holloway pays tribute to Alexander Volkanovski after UFC 245 title loss

Former champ Max Holloway offered his trademark salute to his opponent after UFC 245.

It’s a trend that makes [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] one of the classiest men in the fight. The Hawaiian shows admiration to his opponents win or lose, and of course, things were no different after dropping the UFC featherweight title to [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag].

In the wake of having his championship reign come to an end by Volkanovski (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) courtesy of a unanimous decision loss in the UFC 245 co-headliner, Holloway (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) took to social media to the man who got the better of him at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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Volkanovski and Holloway had similar paths to the top of the division in that they put together long winning streaks and took on all comers. “Blessed” made it clear he respects the new champion for his work ethic and attitude toward the sport (via Instagram):

He was willing to fight for an interim belt. If he couldn’t fight me he was willing to fight anybody even fighters ranked below him. When you’re a champ everybody is below you so Alex was carrying the weight of that belt before Dana wrapped it around his waist. Happy for Alex and Emma and their daughters, and Australia. Same ocean, different waves. See you in the lineup again

With the defeat at UFC 245, Holloway’s title reign came to an end with three defenses. His long winning streak and success as champion will seemingly get him a rematch, though, because UFC president Dana White said post-fight he’d like to see the pair run it back.

It seems Volkanovski will get the hometown advantage, too. The UFC has plans to return to Australia in the first half of 2019, and all signs point to Holloway having to go into enemy territory if he wants the title back.

Considering Holloway got his first undisputed 145-pound belt by defeating Jose Aldo in Brazil, it’s almost certain he will be up to the task.

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Spinning Back Clique: What’s next for Usman, Covington; is Khabib-McGregor 2 on the horizon?

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 7 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” react to what transpired at UFC 245 and preview what’s to come for a few big names in 2020.

Show rundown:

  • [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] defended his welterweight title in the main event of UFC 245, downing bitter rival [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] in the fifth round of an incredibly competitive fight. Afterward, Usman expressed more interest in facing [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] next rather than [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]. What makes more sense?
  • Meanwhile, Covington’s rise to the top has been one of scorched earth, and many fans and fighters were clearly happy to see him lose. That said, his performance was quite impressive in the fight, so where does he go from here?
  • In the night’s co-main, [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] claimed gold by scoring an impressive decision win over former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]. It appears an instant rematch is on the horizon, but is there a possibility that’s not the right move?
  • [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] picked up yet another victory and remains a UFC dual champion. The only problem? It doesn’t seem there’s a line of contenders waiting for her to face. Boxing gold medalist [autotag]Claressa Shields[/autotag] has expressed some interest in trying her hand at MMA, but Nunes doesn’t seem to want to reciprocate by giving it a go at boxing, so what’s next for “The Lioness”?
  • UFC 245 was the final UFC pay-per-view of the year, so it’s natural to start taking a look at 2020. UFC president Dana White has already started laying out plans for a potential rematch between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, but “The Eagle” is saying that’s not going to happen. Who’s right?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 7 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

All Maxcess: Max Holloway brings you backstage following his UFC 245 loss to Alexander Volkanovski

Max Holloway is greeted by John Mayer backstage following his loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 245.

Few handle a loss better than [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag].

Holloway (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) lost his featherweight title to Alexander Volkanovski via unanimous decision this past Saturday at UFC 245 in Las Vegas, putting an end to his 14-fight unbeaten streak at 145 pounds.

And while 2019 may not have been his year, going 1-2, including a failed attempt to capture the interim lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in April, Holloway insists he will not be deterred.

In attendance for Holloway’s fight was his good friend, Grammy award winning singer and songwriter John Mayer, who was there to console him backstage following his loss.

Holloway gave an “All Maxcess” look at the moments leading up to his fight, as well as exclusive backstage footage after the loss, in the latest edition of his Vlog series on YouTube. Check out the video.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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UFC 245 salaries: Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington top list of disclosed paydays

A total of 12 fighters made north of six figures Saturday at UFC 245, and that number increases when post-fight bonuses are factored in.

Main event combatants [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] each pocketed $500,000 for their respective efforts at UFC 245.

MMA Junkie recently obtained the list of the disclosed paydays for Saturday night’s card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas from the Nevada Athletic Commission, which oversaw the event.

UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovksi[/autotag], who won the belt in the evening’s co-main event, earned $250,000 for his performance. Former champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], who lost the belt, took home a $350,000.

UFC women’s double champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] pocketed $450,000 for her bantamweight title defense against [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]. Dutch challenger de Randamie earned $100,000.

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Former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] was the fourth highest-paid athlete on the card. Despite losing to [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] in his drop to bantamweight, Aldo earned $400,000.

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $4,096,000.

The full list of disclosed UFC 245 paydays included:

  • Kamaru Usman: $500,000 (no win bonus)
    def. Colby Covington: $500,000
  • Alexander Volkanovski: $250,000 (no win bonus)
    def. Max Holloway: $350,000
  • Amanda Nunes: $450,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus)
    def. Germaine de Randamie: $100,000
  • Marlon Moraes: $220,000 (includes $110,000 win bonus)
    def. Jose Aldo: $400,000
  • [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $122,000 (includes $66,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]: $250,0000
  • [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $62,000 (includes $31,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]: $90,000
  • [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]: $33,000
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $110,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag]: $50,000
  • [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: $160,000 (includes $80,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag]: $35,000
  • [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $48,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag]: $18,000
  • [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $62,000 (includes $31,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: $25,000
  • [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: $45,000
  • [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag]: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag]: $20,000

The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC 245 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials handed out additional $50,000 UFC 245 fight-night bonuses to Yan and Aldana for “Performance of the Night,” and Usman and Covington for “Fight of the Night.”

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

[jwplayer FyBP4Vij-RbnemIYZ]

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UFC 245 medical suspensions: Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, others face potential lengthy layoffs

As you might expect, Colby Covington is going to be out awhile after UFC 245. But Kamaru Usman could be on the shelf as well.

Seven fighters are facing lengthy medical suspensions after a hard-hitting night of action at UFC 245.

Both main event combatants, [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], face 180-day suspensions for injuries sustained in their back-and-forth main event.

Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) retained his welterweight championship, but not without sacrificing his well-being. “The Nigerian Nightmare” has been suspended 180 days or until X-ray of left thumb is cleared by physician.

Meanwhile, Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has been suspended 180 days or until his nondisplaced midline mandibular fracture is cleared by oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

Additionally, newly crowned UFC featherweight champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is up for a potential 180 days suspension as well, for a potentially broken hand suffered against Max Holloway in the evening’s co-main event.

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Four other fighters could see 180-day suspensions for various injuries, including bantamweight contender [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag], and [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag].

MMA Junkie acquired the full list of medical suspensions from the Nevada Athletic Commission, which you can read below:

  • [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days or until eye injury is cleared by physician; no contact for 21 days due to cut on left cheek
  • [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray/MRI of right hand and x-ray of right foot and left tibia/fibia are cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to cut on left eyebrow
  • [autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Ian Henisch[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: No Suspension
  • [autotag]Ketlen Viera[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • Geoff Neal: Suspended for 180 days or until x-ray of left ribs is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Mike Perry: Suspended 180 days or until nasal x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • Petr Yan: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right foot is cleared by an orthopedic physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 21 days due to cut on left eyelid
  • [autotag]Jose Aldo/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Alexander Volkanovski: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right hand is cleared by orthopedic physician; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to leg pain
  • Kamaru Usman: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of left thumb is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Colby Covington: Suspended 180 days or until nondisplaced midline mandibular fracture is cleared by oral and maxillofacial surgeon; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days

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MMA Junkie Radio #3010: Reaction to Usman-Covington, Volkanovski’s win, more UFC 245

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” react to the year-end UFC 245 card, where three title fights took place in Las Vegas.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,010 of the podcast, the guys look back at all things UFC 245 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

THE RUNDOWN:

  • [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] finally settled their grudge, with Usman retaining his welterweight title after scoring a fifth-round TKO victory that Covington didn’t agree with the stoppage. It was a grueling fight, which resulted in Covington suffering a fractured jaw. Are we satisfied with how things played out, and what makes sense for both fighters moving forward?
  • [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] took it to [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] and came away with a unanimous decision victory to claim the featherweight title. The good news for Holloway: UFC president Dana White already has expressed interest in booking an immediate rematch. Should that happen?
  • UFC dual champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] retained her women’s bantamweight title with a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]. And with that result, Nunes has just about cleared her division. What needs to happen next?
  • [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] spoiled [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]’s bantamweight debut by earning a close split decision win. But get this: champ [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] has called out Aldo coming off a loss. What? How does that make any sense?
  • [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]’s comeback hit a bump, as the UFC Hall of Famer lost by knockout to top contender [autotag]Petr Ya[/autotag]n, who looks legit as can be. As for Faber, does the 40-year-old legend need to call it a career? Or could this loss set the table for a future fight between Faber and T.J. Dillashaw?
  • We all love [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] because he’s as tough as they come. Where does he go from here after losing in 90 seconds to Geoff Neal?

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

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Top MMA fighters of the decade, 2010-2019: Max Holloway ranked No. 10

The decade ended on a low note, but Max Holloway still proved to be one of the greats of the past 10 years.

The 2010s, arguably the most important decade in the history of mixed martial arts, is coming to a close. One reason why the past 10 years have been so pivotal to the sport is the sheer talent that exists across all divisions – men and women, from flyweight (which didn’t even exist until February 2012) to heavyweight. Simply put, the number of great fighters to grace cages and rings across the world never has been higher.

Here at MMA Junkie, we’ve put together a staff-wide, composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the past decade, which we’ll reveal Monday-Friday until Dec. 27. Today, we reflect on No. 10: Max Holloway.

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The decade ended on a low note for [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], but losing his featherweight title at UFC 245 doesn’t take away from his status as one of the greats of the past 10 years.

Holloway’s MMA career to this point has played out since his professional debut in September 2010. En route to becoming one of the most beloved fighters in the sport, Holloway did not take a single shortcut.

Holloway’s most memorable moments, of course, came when he was UFC champion. The work he put in to get to that point, though, is what reveals so much about why he belongs here.

The Hawaiian was not a fighter who caught on right away. In fact, he’s the only fighter who will be featured on this list who (spoiler!) lost his UFC debut. That came in a short-notice bout with Dustin Poirier in February 2012 at UFC 143, when he was just 19 and had a mere four fights to his name. There were ups and downs in the early years, with Holloway going just 3-3 in his first six octagon appearances.

It was the final loss in that early stretch that will be immortalized as Holloway’s turning point. He fought Conor McGregor on short notice at UFC Fight Night 26 in August 2013, dropping a unanimous decision in a contest in which he suffered an achilles injury early only whilst McGregor blew out his knee.

Something changed with Holloway after that result: He didn’t see defeat again in the featherweight division until losing to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 245 on Dec. 14.

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Climbing the ranks to get the belt was no easy task for Holloway, and he did it the old fashioned way. It took nine consecutive wins just for him to sniff a fight for the interim featherweight title, but never once did he complain. He just remained humble and accepted the next fight.

Holloway had to get past the likes of Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Jeremy Stephens and Ricardo Lamas on his way up. Then when he finally did get that interim title fight at UFC 206 in December 2016, opponent Anthony Pettis badly missed weight. Holloway took the fight without hesitation, though, and went on to become the first to stop “Showtime.”

Firsts would become a common theme in Holloway’s career. In his undisputed championship crowning moment at UFC 212 in June 2017, Holloway ventured into enemy territory and became the first in the UFC to defeat the legendary Jose Aldo on Brazilian soil.

He would then become the first to beat Aldo twice, stopping the division’s most prestigious champion by TKO for a second straight time in his first title defense at UFC 218 in December 2017. Those back-to-back performances earned him “Fighter of the Year” honors from most, including here at MMA Junkie.

Holloway would have a year of his career taken away after that, though, as 2018 was not kind to him. It’s hard not to wonder where his legacy would stand if injury didn’t take him out of a UFC 222 matchup with Frankie Edgar, or if the New York commission didn’t pull him from a scheduled lightweight title bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223, or if a still mysterious illness didn’t take him out of a title defense against Brian Ortega at UFC 226.

Max Holloway with his team and son, Rush, at UFC 240. (Sergei Belski, USA TODAY Sports)

When he did return, though, it was with force. In his second title defense against then-undefeated Ortega at UFC 231 in December 2018, Holloway set a new mark for most significant strikes landed in a single UFC bout at 290.

That’s just one of many records Holloway holds to his name. He also owns the all-time marks for most significant strikes landed in UFC history (2,071), is tied for the most third-round finishes in UFC history (six), and, among other things, is the featherweight record holder for wins (16), stoppages (10) and knockouts (eight).

Holloway also put together one of the great winning streaks of his era. His run of consecutive victories sat at 13 after Ortega, but it came to a halt at UFC 236 in April 2019 when Holloway moved up to the lightweight division and lost an interim title bout against Poirier, who put a second win over Holloway on his resume.

Aside from the title loss, Holloway’s defeat to Poirier is the most meaningful since he became the fighter the world knows him as today. Those results seem to have taken away little from him, though. Holloway’s humility when things don’t go his way is what makes him so revered. He is as genuine and down to earth as it gets, and that attitude has contributed to his many successes.

At the start of the decade, Holloway merely was a scrawny teenage kickboxer looking to find his way. Since then, he’s morphed into a pound-for-pound great who mastered a style of breaking opponents with volume, pressure and a fight IQ.

The recency of the loss to Volkanovski will take away some of the luster of Holloway’s run this decade. But as he said post-fight, he just turned 28. There’s still a long road in the fight game ahead. And of the potential members of this list still to be revealed, it’s entirely possible Holloway lands on this list again at the end of 2029.

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