To be the second finest on this planet at something is an accomplishment few on this planet will ever expertise. While such a distinction could be thrilling and unbelievable for most individuals, being the world’s second-best can sting once you’ve beforehand sat within the prime spot. That’s the case for UFC Fight Night headliner Max Holloway, who takes on Arnold Allen on Saturday evening.
For almost a decade, relationship again to his August 2013 struggle with Conor McGregor, just one man has been capable of defeat Holloway in a featherweight bout. That man, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, has defeated Holloway not as soon as, not twice, however thrice as he firmly established himself as one of the best 145-pound fighter on the planet.
When not within the cage with Volkanovski, Holloway remains to be the identical terror he all the time has been for different featherweights. Against Calvin Kattar, Holloway landed a report 445 vital strikes. He adopted that up with a formidable resolution win over Yair Rodriguez, a fighter who would win the interim featherweight title two fights later and is about to problem Volkanovski in July.
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The state of affairs has put Holloway into an odd place within the sport. A featherweight arguably higher than everybody on the planet however with no actual path to a different title shot. Holloway is just too good to be seen as a gatekeeper, but that is basically his operate in opposition to fighters like Allen.
If Allen can defeat Holloway it proves he’s an elite fighter and can all however definitely obtain a title shot after Volkanovski and Rodriguez unify their two variations of the featherweight championship. If Holloway beats Allen, although? It’s on to the subsequent struggle in opposition to one other prime fighter. There’s no prize within the close to future for Holloway, simply the joys of the struggle.
In a current interview with ESPN, Holloway mentioned he nonetheless thinks he is a greater fighter than Volkanovski as a result of he has to assume that.
“Yes, I do consider I’m a greater fighter than Alexander Volkanovki,” Holloway mentioned. “If I did not consider I used to be a greater fighter than him, then why I’m preventing in the identical weight class because the man? Ask anyone. Ask anyone who has misplaced to anyone, ‘Do you assume you’re a higher fighter than this man?’ Of course, they’re going to say sure, as a result of as soon as we begin saying no, when you get the acceptance that this man is likely to be higher than me, then you do not belong, and you must retire. Guys do not perceive that.”
The different unusual actuality of Holloway’s place is how a lot energy different males have over his alternatives.
Should Holloway stay at featherweight, he turns into a fan of different challengers by default. If Rodriguez can topple Volkanovski, Holloway will get proper again within the title combine. As talked about, Holloway already holds a win over Rodriguez, making him a smart challenger, although Volkanovski would nearly definitely be granted a direct rematch within the occasion of a title loss.
The different choice for some better that means in Holloway’s profession is to maneuver to light-weight.
The final time Holloway competed at 155 was April 2019. While holding the featherweight title, Holloway moved as much as face Dustin Poirier for the interim light-weight title. Poirier received a incredible struggle and Holloway returned to 145 for yet another profitable protection earlier than the primary assembly with Volkanovski.
There are loads of recent challenges and large names for Holloway to face at light-weight, which may all result in one other crack at light-weight gold. Holloway even admitted the thought was interesting whereas chatting with ESPN.
“For this subsequent struggle, no. But it is all the time tempting to go there,” Holloway mentioned. “You obtained killers up there and people fights excite me. We simply see what occurs. It’s all the time nice to go up a weight class once you obtained a belt round your waist so we’ll see what occurs. Never say by no means. We’ll see what playing cards we get and we’ll go from there.”
Ultimately, Holloway mentioned he believes the UFC would “pressure his hand” to maneuver to light-weight in the event that they did not see a possible featherweight title shot in his future.
Age and sturdiness may be an element shifting ahead — in addition to any potential transfer to light-weight. Holloway is just 31 years previous, however with 30 fights of mileage on his physique, 26 of these fights on the UFC stage. In addition, over his previous eight fights, Holloway has absorbed a mean of 124 vital strikes. That’s almost 1,000 strikes taken since December 2018. And that punishment did begin to look as if it was affecting Holloway throughout his most up-to-date loss to Volkanovski.
It’s a tough factor for the previous finest on this planet to simply accept a title struggle might merely be out of attain within the present surroundings. Holloway will proceed doing what he is all the time accomplished, attempting to knock off prime contenders and turn into simple. Unfortunately, it is in the end out of his palms.
