Max Holloway feeling like a true lightweight ahead of UFC 318.
UFC 318: Max Holloway media day interview
UFC 318 headliner Max Holloway spoke to MMA Junkie and reporters at media day for his BMF title defense vs. Dustin Poirier on Saturday in New Orleans.
NEW ORLEANS – Max Holloway’s return to the lightweight division looks to be a lot different than times prior.
Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC), a former UFC featherweight champion, who’s moved up and fought at lightweight twice before, is having his third bout at 155 pounds this Saturday, taking on Dustin Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) in the main event of UFC 318 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) – which takes place Saturday at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Unlike before, Holloway’s move to lightweight includes no potential return to 145 pounds, changing the situation completely.
“Oh yeah, for sure, I feel the difference,” Holloway said at the UFC 318 media day on Wednesday. “For my last fight (at featherweight), you guys could see my cheekbones way more, I kind of looked like a skeleton, so I’m just glad here. You guys see the difference. People are talking about it about how big I am, how wide I am. It just feels good. I’m a Polynesian, a Hawaiian-Polynesian. I’m glad I get to show that Polynesian, big wrist, big ankles kind of thing.”
Not planning on making 145 pounds ever again, Holloway has better adapted his frame to lightweight this time around. This change has freed him up, as he can now do things he couldn’t do before.
“Just being able to focus on this camp and not even teeter tottering on the chance of, ‘Oh, we might go back down,’ we can do certain things, we can supplement in certain ways,” Holloway said. “At the end of the day, these 155-pound camps are the best. I feel good. I feel great. I get to eat a lot more during camp. There were times at 145 where I was like, ‘Oh, I want to eat’ and then I jump on the scale, and I’m like ‘Oh, sh*t. I can’t do it,’ so these 155 camps are way more enjoyable.”
Holloway is coming off a KO loss to Ilia Topuria in a featherweight title fight last October. Some question Holloway’s chances of getting himself into another title fight, given Topuria has also moved up to lightweight and is now the champion after stopping Charles Oliveira for the vacant belt.
“Blessed” disagrees with those skeptics, and think a good win over Poirier will put him back in the mix.
“If I go out there and have a (UFC) 300 moment, I’m right there for a title shot,” Holloway said. “And if it’s not for a title shot, I’m right there for a No. 1 contender shot, whoever it may be. First things first. I see the media, I see people talking, I see people chirping.”
