While the BMF title fight wasn’t his first choice, Max Holloway is happy to have plenty of options in his fighting career.
The former UFC featherweight champion was hunting for another crack at the title after picking up impressive wins over Arnold Allen and Chan Sung Jung in 2023. Unfortunately for Holloway (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC), the promotion didn’t agree. Alexander Volkanovski was booked against rising contender Ilia Topuria for the division’s next title fight.
If that meant a return to lightweight was to be next, top choices such as Charles Oliveira and the champ Islam Makhachev were also unavailable. However, things worked out pretty well when a fight against Justin Gaethje for the BMF title materialized for UFC 300.
“Oliveira and Islam was booked, I just came off a big win with ‘Korean Zombie,’ and then the 45 title was booked too at the same time,” Holloway told Kevin Iole. “So, he had the BMF belt and I like options. At 45, I think the next step for me is back for the title. We was being undeniable. We had that third fight with Volk. I had to go fight Arnold. We did that. They gave me the fight against Korean Zombie over out in Asia, and that was a fun one. We did that, and what’s next is a title shot, we was thinking. They went a different way, and in this sport, having options is great.
“Justin Gaethje looked like he needed a dance partner since Oliveira and Islam was booked at the time, and just threw my name in the hat. The BMF belt is great. Being right there at 55, being that 55 weight class is right there, only 10 pounds away from 45, I can do both classes. Why not throw my name in the hat?”
The Hawaiian is aware of the criticism that began pouring in when the fight was announced. Concerns over his power disadvantage against a high-volume pressure fighter may have given Holloway some added motivation to prepare.
Ultimately, Holloway is excited at the prospect of capturing the BMF title and having the ability to defend it in multiple weight classes. Since the title isn’t tied to a specific division, it could go wherever Holloway goes, should he be able to capture it by defeating Gaethje.
“It’s options,” Holloway said. “I think a lot of doors are going to get opened, a lot of options are going to be open. We’ll see what happens. … First things first is the man in front of me. I got a dangerous guy in Justin Gaethje, but we’re going to handle him first, and then after that, like I said: It’s just a game of options. A lot of things can open up after this fight. That’s what I’m focused on. Focused on getting my hand raised, and shock the world, I guess.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.
