Singlet Attire Prevented Highschool Wrestling Career, Says Max Holloway Ahead of UFC 329

Former UFC BMF champion Max Holloway reveals why wrestling is his weak suit ahead of UFC 329 superfight.

Singlet Attire Prevented Highschool Wrestling Career, Says Max Holloway Ahead of UFC 329

Max Holloway's wrestling regret (via Bloody Elbow)

Max Holloway has built a reputation as one of the UFC’s finest boxers through his elite striking across a remarkable 14-year career. Countless brutal battles have showcased his durability, while his stand-up dominance rarely demanded extensive wrestling. However, Holloway recently revealed the hilarious reason he never gained collegiate wrestling experience despite having the opportunity in high school.

Holloway began his combat sports journey with kickboxing during his sophomore year in 2007. Remarkably, he won his first amateur fight after only three days of training before transitioning into mixed martial arts. Today, the Hawaiian native owns the UFC career record with 3,681 significant strikes landed, including 1,414 in title fights, with both marks standing as promotional records to this day.

The former featherweight champion also created the iconic “stand and bang” moment, cementing another unforgettable chapter in his legendary career. Holloway is now preparing for a rematch against Irish supesrstar Conor McGregor at UFC 329. However, the Hawaiian recently revealed that embarrassment over wearing a wrestling singlet limited his development during his high school years.

Wrestling was available at my high school. A bunch of my friends were trying to get me into wrestling, but I wasn’t about to be caught dead in a singlet, dawg. Are you crazy? At first, I thought that was crazy, but now look at me. I’m 30-something old. I use tights to fight. Like, what the hell, I should have just put on a damn singlet to learn wrestling. A lot of people that’s watching this right now are gonna go in your comments and be like, ‘Yeah, he should have done wrestling, because look what Oliveira did.’ These guys are ridiculous, bro.

Max Holloway via UFC

Holloway’s wrestling limitations were evident during his latest outing against Charles Oliveira at UFC 326. The Hawaiian lost his BMF title in a dominant unanimous decision after Oliveira controlled the five-round contest. All three judges scored the fight 50-45, making it one of Holloway’s most one-sided losses.

However, much of the disappointment after UFC 326 was not directed toward Holloway. Instead, many observers criticized Oliveira’s performance as unworthy of the BMF belt’s legacy, given the title’s history of explosive knockouts and memorable striking battles rather than control-heavy contests.

Despite recent setbacks, Holloway remains one of the UFC’s most skilled fighters, with elite boxing driving his success. The former champion avoided a knockout defeat for almost his entire professional career. That streak ended at UFC 308, where Ilia Topuria handed Holloway his first career knockout loss.

However, Holloway is unlikely to need wrestling against Conor McGregor at UFC 329. McGregor is best known for his karate-based striking. However, the Irishman has been involved in grappling exchanges against Khabib Nurmagomedov, Chad Mendes, and Nate Diaz during his UFC career.

Grappling-heavy styles have often proven effective against elite strikers in mixed martial arts. That contrast was evident at UFC 322, where Islam Makhachev‘s wrestling neutralized Jack Della Maddalena’s striking. Max Holloway will hope his elite boxing delivers a different outcome at UFC 329.

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Max Holloway reacts to his former rival being arrested

Max Holloway has faced countless elite opponents, but few tested him like Dustin Poirier throughout his UFC career. Poirier submitted Holloway in their 2012 meeting before defeating him again by unanimous decision at UFC 236. ‘The Diamond’ captured the interim lightweight title in their second encounter.

The longtime rivals completed their trilogy at UFC 318, where Holloway defeated Poirier by unanimous decision to retain the BMF title. The bout marked the final fight of Poirier’s professional career, bringing an end to one of the UFC’s most accomplished résumés.

Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier
Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier (via UFC)

However, Poirier has recently come under intense scrutiny after being arrested on Father’s Day at Atlanta’s airport on a public intoxication charge. Authorities alleged he was visibly intoxicated, became disruptive inside the terminal, and was taken into custody before later being released.

Poirier later apologized for the incident and acknowledged that he needs mental health support while adjusting to life after retirement. As the former interim champion addressed the situation publicly, Holloway recently voiced his support and expressed confidence that Poirier would recover.

It looks like he’s gonna go get some help. It’s tough, man. I think Dustin’s gonna recover.

Max Holloway via his Kick stream

Max Holloway has become the latest prominent fighter to publicly support ‘The Diamond’ following the incident. UFC legend Daniel Cormier also urged fans to stand behind his fellow Louisiana native. Their support reflects the respect Dustin Poirier continues to command despite his recent struggles.

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