Max Holloway boasts ability despite losses to UFC foe Alexander Volkanovski: ‘I am a better fighter than him’
Despite suffering three consecutive losses to undisputed featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski since 2020, former division kingpin, Max Holloway insists that he is still the better fighter when it comes to the UFC duo.
Holloway, the current #2 ranked featherweight contender, is slated to return to the Octagon this weekend atop a UFC Fight Night Kansas City card – taking on the surging Ipswitch native, Arnold Allen over the course of five rounds in a potential title-eliminator.
Sidelined from active competition since co-headlined UFC 276 back in July of last year during International Fight Week against the above-mentioned Volkanovski, suffering a unanimous decision loss in the pair’s trilogy clash.
Prior to that one-sided judging defeat, the Hawaiian had turned in a close rematch loss to the New South Wales native on ‘Fight Island’ in 2020, after dropping his undisputed featherweight championship to the Australian back in December of the year prior.
In his only victory in that series of fights with Volkanovski, Max Holloway managed to land a close, decision win over recently minted interim featherweight titleholder, Yair Rodríguez – who is set to feature in a title unification clash with Volkanovski at UFC 290 in July.
Max Holloway welcomes a fourth clash with Alexander Volkanovski
Failing to rule out a fourth fight with Volkanovski despite failing to lodge a single win over the featherweight best, Holloway insists that he is still a better fighter than the Joe Lopez-trained technician.
“What kind of question is that?” Max Holloway asked ESPN MMA during a recent interview if he believed he was a better fighter than Alexander Volkanovski. “You know what I mean – yes, I do believe I am a better fighter than Alexander Volkanovski. If I didn’t believe I was a better fighter than him, then why I am fighting in the same weight class as the guy? Ask anybody who lost to anybody, do you think you are a better fighter then this guy? Of course, they are going to say [yes].”
“Once we start saying, ‘No I think [he is a better fighter]’ – once you get the acceptance that this guy might be better than me, then you don’t belong, you should retire,” Max Holloway explained. “Guys don’t understand that.”
Furthermore, Holloway, who briefly made a lightweight excursion in an interim title rematch with Dustin Poirier back in April 2019, failed to rule out the possibility of making a leap to the 155lbs division in the future following his Kansas City main event against the aforenoted, Allen.
