With an eye on a trilogy with Volkanovski, Holloway promises a surprise for this Saturday's fight

M. Holloway (left) and A. Volkanovski (right) faced each other in 2019 and 2020. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @ufc

Former UFC featherweight champion (up to 65,7kg.), Max Holloway is motivated to recover his throne, lost to Alexander Volkanovsky, in December 2019. To do so, the Hawaiian will need a perfect performance against Calvin kattar, this Saturday (16), at UFC Fight Island 7, which opens the company's 2021 season. As far as 'Abençoado' depends, his fans will not be disappointed with his performance over the weekend.

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“I have to take care of my business and do something spectacular. Don't let them deny me. Then, I'll leave it to my manager (businessman) to work his magic. I have something special for this fight for sure, don't miss it”, said Max, in an interview with 'Combate'.

Although he is focused on his next commitment, Holloway does not hide that thinking about the future is a new fight against Alexander Volkanovsky. During the conversation, the Hawaiian again challenged his two setbacks against the Australian and assured that he feels the need to prove himself superior to his rival, who currently holds the title.

“80% to 90% of the world believes I won this fight, and it wasn’t just fans. They were respected people, like coaches, like Firas Zahabi, or Big John (McCarthy), who wrote the regulations. And there are the competitors, like Nate (Diaz), Dustin (Poirier), Justin (Gaethje), Jorge (Masvidal), all these guys. Imagine if all these guys, when I faced (José) Aldo, had said I lost. I probably would have moved to Brazil and tried to fight him every day, to prove a point, that what happened, didn't happen. But it’s my way, I’m competitive, it’s something I have in me”, said the former champion.

With 27 fights as a professional in MMA, Holloway, 29 years old, took over the top of the world when he brutalized and took the belt in the MMA category. José Aldo, in 2017. Afterwards, in an immediate rematch, in the same year, the Hawaiian once again knocked out the man from Manaus.

Although Max continues to pursue Volkanovski, the current champion has, at times, made it public that he is against a new fight against the former leader of the group. According to the Australian, the category should move forward and a trilogy would stop the division. Since his first title defense, in July 2020, Alexander has not performed again. The expectation is that the athlete will face Brian ortega, but there is still no scheduled date for the clash.