Max Holloway is not any stranger to creating viral moments at any time when he units foot within the octagon, however it’s exhausting to disclaim his last-second knockout over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 might be his most memorable.
Already up large on the scorecards and cruising in direction of a lopsided unanimous resolution win, Holloway nonetheless threw warning to the wind after he pointed to the canvas and invited Gaethje to only throw down with him within the waning seconds of the struggle. That transfer paid off as a result of Holloway blasted Gaethje with a last punch that despatched the previous interim light-weight champion crashing face-first to the canvas with one second left on the clock and jaws have been on the ground from anyone and all people watching the way it all unfolded.
In order he approaches his subsequent look at UFC 318, the place he faces Dustin Poirier in his retirement struggle, is Holloway keen to do the identical factor once more?
“100%,” Holloway advised MMA Combating. “With Dustin, he’s some extent down man, too. So I wouldn’t be shocked if he began it, if he initiated it. On the finish of the day, I imply you’ve received to.
“If we get to the fifth spherical with the ten seconds left, I feel he would possibly beat me to it and level down first. For certain, I’m going to fortunately settle for that any day of the week.”
Pointing to the canvas and welcoming a slugfest has successfully grow to be Holloway’s signature transfer after doing the identical factor when he fought Ricardo Lamas again in 2016.
As a lot as he loves how that has grow to be a part of his legend, Holloway selfishly admits that offering one thing so memorable additionally offers him the possibility to get precisely what he desires in the long run. At UFC 300, Holloway turned essentially the most talked-about fighter on one of many largest playing cards of all time.
If he can do one thing just like Poirier at UFC 318, Holloway believes he not solely will get one other iconic knockout win, however places himself able to doubtlessly battle for the light-weight title sooner somewhat than later.
“You and I do know we reside in a sport the place moments are king,” Holloway stated. “If I can go on the market and I can have a UFC 300 second once more, come right here July 19, who’s to say I’m not proper there for an undisputed title shot once more?
“If I can go on the market and create a second, create a second near 300 — think about I’m going on the market and do my factor and I’ve a factor like 300, a 10-second knockout — I’m proper again in there with the title shot, title talks.”
Holloway doesn’t want any further motivation to get a title shot, however realizing that Ilia Topuria now stands tall as champion positively provides a bit further push to incomes that chance.
After knocking out Gaethje at UFC 300, Holloway suffered the primary knockout lack of his profession when Topuria put him down at UFC 308 this previous October. There’s no unhealthy blood or lingering disdain in direction of Topuria for getting the job completed, however Holloway was understandably excited when studying he would possibly get one other crack at “El Matador” now that they’re competing in a brand new weight class collectively.
“I used to be ecstatic after they introduced he was combating for the undisputed title in opposition to who he was combating with,” Holloway stated about Topuria’s current win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. “I’ve historical past with each males so I used to be like brother, I’ve simply received to go on the market and do my job and hopefully right here quickly we discover out the place the lay of the land is wanting.”
Holloway was already impressed with Topuria earlier than they fought so he wasn’t shocked to see his former foe exit and dispatch Oliveira the best way he did in June. Topuria demolished Oliveira with a brutal one-two punch mixture within the first spherical that topped him as the brand new light-weight champion.
Whereas he’ll gladly struggle whoever has the the belt, Holloway would love the possibility to avenge a previous loss and now that’s potential with Topuria as champion.
“Who didn’t see that struggle?” Holloway stated. “I wasn’t in a position to watch it reside as a result of we have been coaching throughout that point however after the session, we received to look at it and I used to be like rattling. It went precisely like how I believed. I wouldn’t be shocked if he did that to Charles and I wouldn’t be shocked if Charles by some means received with catching him in a submission or hurting him after which submitting him.
“On the finish of the day, he appeared excellent. He’s doing what he’s doing and it’s all respect to him. We now have historical past. I’m going on the market, I do some sort of second, you understand how this sport goes and I’m proper again in there.”
For Holloway to have his second and presumably insert himself into the title speak dialog, he’s going to must ship Poirier packing off a loss within the last struggle of his profession.
After making his UFC debut in opposition to Poirier again in 2012 after which partaking in a Struggle of the Yr candidate of their rematch seven years later, Holloway has quite a lot of respect and admiration for his opponent on Saturday. Sadly for Poirier, Holloway isn’t going to roll over and play useless for anyone, so he plans on sending the Louisiana native into retirement off a loss.
“It sucks to be spoiler however it needs to be completed,” Holloway stated. “When he’s using off into the sundown, I’m nonetheless going to be right here chugging alongside, attempting to get a title shot or attempting to grow to be a double-champ and make historical past.
“On the finish of the day, I’ve received to go on the market and do my factor. It sucks that it needs to be this one, it needs to be Dustin’s final one however that’s the best way the playing cards unfold.”
