Max Holloway Reacts To Defining TKO Over Brian Ortega

There’s not much else to say. The awaited featherweight war (highlights here) between Max Holloway and Brian Ortega in the main event of last night’s (Sat., December 8, 2018) UFC 231 from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was simply an epic moment in MMA.

Holloway won via fourth-round TKO to secure an amazing 13 wins in a row and put himself among the greatest of all-time. but it wasn’t without some adversity. Ortega was a more-than-tough opponent. “T-City” stormed back from an early-round smattering to hurt Holloway with some huge shots in the pivotal third round.

Yet like the true champion he obviously is, Holloway fought back and poured on a relentless downpour of precise power punches. It was truly death by a thousand cuts. Ortega finally succumbed at the end of the fourth round as a result, his left eye swollen to where he would have trouble seeing. UFC President Dana White offered his adulation of Holloway after the fight. “Blessed” soon spoke up with his own response to Megan Olivi on the FOX Sports 1 post-fight show.

The streaking champion said he was just having fun in the Octagon, and it showed with his loose, hands-down style. After many doubted him following three fight pullouts already this year, Holloway said he let his fight skills prove why he’s one of the best:

“Yeah, I was loving every minute. I got to go in there; I was just having fun. A lot of people had a lot of doubts. But, you know, I’m going to go out and do my thing. You know, I kept telling ‘em. People kept assuming stuff. You know, it is what it is, and all I can control is my fighting style, so I wanted to go out and show the world why I should be one of the No. 1 pound-for-pounds in this game.”

Ready For Anyone

His takedown defense was nearly flawless against respected ground wizard Ortega. Holloway was a bit angry at himself for allowing one takedown during the fight, but he still gave his respect to “T-City.” Overall, he’s ready to take on anyone:

“I think people don’t just get to see. A lot of people, they try to stand, and they end up penetrating you know? And I was kind of mad at myself, you know, I didn’t get taken down like 14-0 and then he got me on one of the takedowns. So I was like, ‘ah.’ But it wasn’t the end of my winning streak, so that’s the one that counts. But all jokes aside, hell of a guy, hell of an opponent, and like I said, is there anyone else? I’m ready to take ‘em all out.”

As for his boss White’s continued suggestions that he should move up to lightweight, “Blessed” said he’ll talk with his employers. He thinks there are great fights in both classes. The featherweight ruler also wanted people to remember he was willing to fight 155-pound champ Khabib Nurmagomedov on six days’ notice: 

“I just heard Dana, you know he said he wants me at ’55. We talk to the boss, we’ll see what happens. You know, sometimes it’s not what I wanna do, it’s what they wanna do. We’ll go from there. I got sometime on my hands now. We sit down and we talk, and we figure it out. There’s a lot, I still think there’s a lot at 45, there’s a lot at ’55, a lot of fun ones, and I just can’t wait. I’m the guy. I was waiting to fight one of the best on six days, you know? Who else will do that?”