UFC Kansas City: Ex-champ Max Holloway says, 'I'm right there' in bid for another title reign
Max Holloway has been one of the UFC's most consistently successful fighters for more than a decade. Even though he's lost three of his last five, he still considers himself a legitimate contender in the featherweight division.
And though all of those losses were to the champion and pound-for-pound No. 2 Alex Volkanovski, Holloway remains insistent that A) he should have won the first two fights between them and that B) he still believes he can beat Volkanovski.
Holloway believes that he should have won four of the seven fights he's lost, including the first two with Volkanovski, the bout for the interim lightweight title with Dustin Poirier and a three-rounder at UFC 160 against Dennis Bermudez.
The fact is that he did lose those fights, though, and nothing he or anyone else says will change that harsh truth.
He enters Saturday's non-title bout against Arnold Allen at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, with a record of 23-7 and an abiding belief that he still is in the mix for the championship.
"You've been around this sport for a long time and you know how crazy things can be," Holloway said to Yahoo Sports. "All you have to do is look at the other night to know that in MMA, nothing is impossible."
When Holloway refers to "the other night," he's referencing UFC 287 on April 8 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, when Israel Adesanya knocked Alex Pereira cold in the second round to regain the middleweight title. Pereira had been 3-0 against Adesanya entering that fight and had won the last two by knockout.
That motivated Holloway, who has never doubted his talent. He's faced arguably the toughest competition of anyone in the modern UFC with zero nights off or any soft touches dropped in. He's ranked second in the division — interim champion Yair Rodriguez, whom Holloway has already defeated is No. 1 behind Volkanovski, the champion — and believes that if he takes care of business things will turn out the way they should.
"This is a very hard business and a tough way to make a living, bro," Holloway said. "And I'm realistic. I know what I'm capable of doing and I know I still have what it takes to get back to the top."
Based on his history, there is zero chance that Holloway will be thinking of Volkanovski when he makes the walk to the Octagon to meet Allen.
Allen doesn't have the name recognition that many of Holloway's opponents have had, a list that includes Volkanovski, Rodriguez, Poirier and a guy named Conor McGregor. But Holloway has been around the game long enough to know that Allen, ranked fourth at featherweight, is the real deal.
"Dangerous dude, man," Holloway said. "Extremely dangerous."
Holloway attributes a lot of his consistency and success over the years to staying healthy and recognizing what he's up against.
He said that from a young age, he's not taken anyone for granted and made it a point to be at his best for each fight. Sometimes, outside factors impact performance, but Holloway hasn't had any regrets following a fight. He believes he's given himself a chance to win each time.
While there have been critics who have scoffed at Holloway's belief he'll once again sit atop the division, he isn't bothered by it.
"You can't be successful in this business if you worry about other people's opinions, especially when they have limited information and don't know what you're doing behind the scenes every day," Holloway said. "If Izzy listened to everyone who told him it was over, where would he be today? The UFC knows what I can do because of the kinds of fights they're offering me.
"I know the work I put in and how I feel and so I have no doubts. You just have to keep hanging in there and doing the work and be patient. I'm right there. I really am."
