“I don’t think it should affect him!” Max Holloway shuts down claims of Alexander Volkanovski not getting Ilia Topuria because of brutal KO

Max Holloway gives his thoughts on the Ilia Topuria vs. Alexander Volkanovski featherweight rematch.

“I don’t think it should affect him!” Max Holloway shuts down claims of Alexander Volkanovski not getting Ilia Topuria because of brutal KO

Max Holloway weighs in on featherweight rematch of Ilia Topuria vs. Alexander Volkanovski (Source: Instagram/IMAGO)

UFC 300’s historic card has a few bouts at 155 pounds, one of which is for the illustrious BMF title. One half of that equation is Max Holloway. Holloway returns to the crowded lightweight scene after five years to face Justin Gaethje. Recently, he weighed in on the title picture in the featherweight division. Namely Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria.

If Holloway had not accepted the fight against Gaethje, he could have fought new champ Ilia Topuria. However, Holloway did not see it that way. Though ‘Blessed’ wanted to fight Topuria, he felt the UFC would likely give Volkanovski a rematch. This is what Holloway said:

I thought...I thought in my mind, that if Topuria was to beat Volk in any way, Volk gets a direct rematch. Volk did enough work to earn himself a direct rematch.... He did what he did; he still has a bunch of title defenses. Just cause he went up a weight class and lost, I don't think that should affect him at his own weight class.
Max Holloway via his official YouTube channel (@maxholloway)
YouTube video

Following suits of friends Israel Adesanya and former P4P king Kamaru Usman, Alexander Volkanovski had five successful title defenses under his belt. After that, he lost out on his hardware to a sensational knockout by cocky challenger Topuria. Fighting at UFC 298, Topuria stood his ground with a powerful face-wobbling shot and subsequent pounding.

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While ‘El Matador‘ has warned Volk to steer clear of a rematch, Holloway sternly vouched for a rematch. He also said Volkanovski’s loss to 155lbs king Islam Makhachev for 2-division glory should not affect his trajectory. As a featherweight, he has proved his mettle with five defenses. Hence, he deserved a rematch.

Max Holloway urges chances of a statement win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300

Max Holloway is gearing up to overcome Justin Gaethje for his title as the current “BMF” of UFC. It’s a tough gig on all fronts, as Gaethje considers himself the most dangerous fighter. During a recent interview with The Schmo, Justin Gaethje flaunted his 25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC stat, having won 20 of these in the way of a KO/TKO.

Max Holloway expects a signature win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300
Max Holloway expects a signature win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 (Source: Instagram/UFC.go.com)

Meanwhile, Holloway recently nudged being ready for two subsequent titles to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports. The Hawaiian fighter wanted a finish over the opponent, much like Gaethje, to make his mark. The 25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC phenom fell short in his first lightweight affair when Dustin Poirier outlasted his mettle at UFC 236 to bag the interim belt.

Now, Holloway bulked up the right way to match up to Justin Gaethje. On his official YouTube channel, he has documented his way to the title and subsequent training for it. Check out below what ‘Blessed’ said in a segment on his YouTube video.

Gaethje vs. Holloway remains a dream fight for many fans. The promotion made the right decision to put it on the historic UFC 300 card. Only time will tell if the bulking helps Holloway to fight the best version of Justin Gaethje.

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