Max Holloway Reveals How Dana White Deceived Him

Interim UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway is gearing up for the biggest fight of his career, as he’s set to take on undisputed 145-pound titleholder Jose Aldo in the main event of June 3’s UFC 212 from Brazil.

While he’s obviously happy that the fight is official, Holloway recently claimed that it could’ve taken place far sooner:

“The fight is happening June 3 cause Mr. Aldo didn’t want to show up at [UFC] 205 because he was kicking and crying and complaining to the UFC that he wanted to fight the one guy that everybody is trying to chase and everybody knows who that guy is,” Holloway said referencing Conor McGregor (Via FOX Sports). “He was trying to chase that fight and he already had a fight.

“The fight could have happened way before now. He had the opportunity to fight me at [UFC] 206 but do a little research before coming at me. This is what Jose Aldo said and I quote ‘I don’t want to fight no one except for Conor and if I was to fight someone, I would fight Anthony Pettis because I believe Anthony Pettis is an easier fight and he’s a bigger draw than Max Holloway’. That’s what your champion has been saying. I thought your champion was willing to fight whoever, whenever and go out there and put on a show. Old boy didn’t show.”

“Blessed” wound up fighting former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis at UFC 206 in a bout that he won via stoppage. In the aftermath of the bout, Holloway was questioned about fighting Aldo at UFC 208, and although he was initially interested in the idea, an ankle injury hindered it from taking place.

Because of this, Holloway has received some criticism for the fight being postponed, but he recently revealed that UFC President Dana White twisted the story:

“I went to the doctor later that week and they said I needed to stay off the ankle for four to six weeks. I called the UFC they said no problem and the day after Dana White calls my phone and offers me this movie I’m in now called “Den of Thieves” with Gerard Butler and 50 Cent and O’Shea Jackson, they offered me the movie,” Holloway said. “Then he goes around saying I’m the one whose fault why this fight is taking so long.

“It’s tripping me out. He offered me a movie role. It doesn’t make no sense.”

In the end, Holloway isn’t too worried what others think, but he’s instead focused on proving himself inside the Octagon on June 3:

“At the end of the day, people are going to believe what they’re going to believe. All I can do is keep taking one fight at a time. I did it my way. I did it the way that I think people would respect,” Holloway said. “I was ranked No. 15 at one time and I was fighting guys in front of me. I always asked for people in front of me. Every fight we’d try to get No. 11 and No. 8 and then No. 6, I walked my way through the division. This isn’t by accident. I’m showing why I’m one of the best of all time.

“My career speaks for itself. I never ever turned down a fight or backed out of a fight so why would I start now? This is the most important fight of my life. They’re going to find out soon enough. June 3 is coming up. At UFC 212, the star is going to get brighter and you guys are all going to see. Those lights turn out and that’s when I get to show the world what I’ve been doing.”

Do you expect Holloway to dethrone Aldo at UFC 212?