Max Holloway Finally Responds To UFC 226 Health Scare
This weekend’s (Sat., July 7, 2018) UFC 226 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, took a huge hit earlier this week when featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced out of his co-main event with Brian Ortega.
Exhibiting concussion-like symptoms, “Blessed” was admitted to the emergency room at a Las Vegas hospital earlier this week, and UFC President Dana White revealed that the beleaguered 145-pound champion wouldn’t be fighting anytime soon after undergoing an extensive series of testing.
Some think Holloway’s repeated weight cutting, which he’s done three times over the first half of this year but ultimately hasn’t fought once, is the culprit, while others suggest that the concussion symptoms publicly called out by Michael Bisping are the cause for alarm for Holloway. No one is quite sure what’s really going on, however, and the MMA world will have to wait and see what transpires for one of the UFC’s most talented young champions.
For now, “Blessed” himself has responded to the disappointing news on his Instagram account, giving respect to Ortega and thanking White & co. for getting him the help he needs. With that established, Holloway urged fans not to let the bad moments of the fight game outshine the many good moments:
It was what it was. Respect to Ortega and his team. Thank you @danawhite and the @UFC staff for making my health priority. Also thank you to @lilheathenmma and @frankieedgar for being about that champ life and stepping up. I see you.
To all the fans I know this rollercoaster can be frustrating because my team is also on it with you. All I can say is I’m truly sorry and I hope you guys stay buckled in because it is far from being over. Don’t let the bad surprises distract you from the good surprises in this great sport. The best is still blessed #blessyourself
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk5kucwBkO0/
Holloway then went on to thank the fellow fighters who offered him support during this time, first acknowledging lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, whom he was supposed to meet on short notice at April’s UFC 223 but was deemed medically unfit to continue cutting weight:
Thank you my brother. I know you know what it is because your whole team is champions. Peace be with you https://t.co/WEtHgunoh3
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) July 6, 2018
Holloway also thanked former two-division champ Conor McGregor for his words of encouragement:
Thank you champ champ. One of the best minds in this game said we win or learn. This is learning for me. Hope to see you back brother 🇨🇮🤙🏻 https://t.co/qdj9IbZDPg
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) July 6, 2018
Finally, Holloway thanked recently retired former middleweight champion Michael Bisping for calling out on his symptoms during an interview on UFC Tonight earlier this week, something that made his condition public and forced it to come to light.
Despite initially claiming to be fine, Holloway admitted he was ultimately thankful for that:
Thank you for being a true friend and calling me out on TV. This fight game breaks when champs can’t be checked https://t.co/IYKTuHsrZw
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) July 6, 2018
