Max Holloway is not any stranger to creating viral moments at any time when he units foot within the octagon, nevertheless it’s arduous to disclaim his last-second knockout over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 might be his most memorable.
Already up massive 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 simply throw down with him within the waning seconds of the combat. 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 had 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 combat, is Holloway prepared to do the identical factor once more?
“A hundred percent,” Holloway instructed MMA Preventing. “With Dustin, he’s some extent down man, too. So I wouldn’t be stunned if he began it, if he initiated it. On the finish of the day, I imply you’ve acquired to.
“If we get to the fifth spherical with the ten seconds left, I feel he may 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 change into 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 change into a part of his legend, Holloway selfishly admits that offering one thing so memorable additionally offers him the prospect to get precisely what he desires in the long run. At UFC 300, Holloway grew to become essentially the most talked-about fighter on one of many largest playing cards of all time.
If he can do one thing much 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 moderately than later.
“You and I do know we stay in a sport the place moments are king,” Holloway mentioned. “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 additional motivation to get a title shot, however realizing that Ilia Topuria now stands tall as champion positively provides just a little additional 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 dangerous blood or lingering disdain in direction of Topuria for getting the job carried out, however Holloway was understandably excited when studying he may get one other crack at “El Matador” now that they’re competing in a brand new weight class collectively.
“I used to be ecstatic once they introduced he was preventing for the undisputed title towards who he was preventing with,” Holloway mentioned 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 acquired 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 stunned 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 combat whoever has the the belt, Holloway would love the prospect to avenge a previous loss and now that’s doable with Topuria as champion.
“Who didn’t see that combat?” Holloway mentioned. “I wasn’t capable of watch it stay as a result of we had been coaching throughout that point however after the session, we acquired to observe it and I used to be like rattling. It went precisely like how I assumed. I wouldn’t be stunned if he did that to Charles and I wouldn’t be stunned if Charles in some way gained with catching him in a submission or hurting him after which submitting him.
“On the finish of the day, he seemed superb. He’s doing what he’s doing and it’s all respect to him. We have now historical past. I’m going on the market, I do some sort of second, you know the way this sport goes and I’m proper again in there.”
For Holloway to have his second and probably insert himself into the title discuss dialog, he’s going to need to ship Poirier packing off a loss within the last combat of his profession.
After making his UFC debut towards Poirier again in 2012 after which partaking in a Combat of the Yr candidate of their rematch seven years later, Holloway has a number 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 nevertheless it must be carried out,” Holloway mentioned. “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 change into a double-champ and make historical past.
“On the finish of the day, I’ve acquired to go on the market and do my factor. It sucks that it must be this one, it must be Dustin’s final one however that’s the best way the playing cards unfold.”
