Max Holloway in presentation at UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Max Holloway He is bothered by the way other fighters have been replicating his trademark gesture in the final seconds of fights. Scheduled to face Charles of the Bronx in the main fight of UFC 326, next Saturday (7), the Hawaiian stated that He's even ashamed. Upon seeing athletes incorrectly pointing to the ground, he decided to clarify the rules of the moment that became iconic in the octagon.
In an interview with Paramount+, the former champion explained that only the fighter who is winning the fight can 'call' the final 10 seconds. According to him, when making the gesture, the athlete should not back down, attempt takedowns, or go for the clinch, since the goal is not to manage the advantage.
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“Here are the official rules, folks: If you’re winning the fight, you’re the one who gets to call the 10 seconds. When you call the 10 seconds, you can’t back down, attempt a takedown, or clinch. That’s not the essence of the 10 seconds,” he said. Max Holloway.
The idea, according to Holloway, is to offer the opponent one last all-or-nothing opportunity, a frank, no-holds-barred exchange in the decisive moments of the fight.
"The essence is: the guy who's winning the fight, in the last 10 seconds, gives the other guy an all-or-nothing chance. That's what it means," he concluded. Max Holloway.
Holloway blasts fighters who try to copy his move in the UFC.
Holloway celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
In an interview with the channel Demetrious Johnson On YouTube, Holloway stated that he feels embarrassed when he sees other athletes trying to copy the gesture. According to him, practically every weekend, during a UFC event, his name is trending on social media because of fighters rehearsing the provocation. The former champion highlighted that many fans tag him criticizing the attempts and saying that the movement is being trivialized.
“I feel ashamed of them. Ashamed… I mean, man. I swear, now it’s every weekend. I don’t understand. If there’s a UFC event and my Twitter is blowing up because people are like, ‘Look, someone tried their best.’ What the hell did you do with pointing downwards? You’re ruining it. And I’m like, man… my God.” Holloway said.
Charles Oliveira copies Max Holloway's gesture in training for UFC 326.
In a video posted by athlete Bruno Gafanhoto on social media, Charles appears during a training session pointing to the center of the octagon, in a gesture similar to that used by Holloway in his fights. Immediately after the provocation, the Brazilian engages in a fierce exchange of blows with his training partner, simulating exactly the situation that could occur in the BMF fight.
Pointing to the ground is Max Holloway's trademark in the UFC.
Max Holloway won the BMF belt in UFC 300. Photo: Instagram / UFC
Despite having made the gesture for the first time in 2016, when he beat Ricardo Lamas, Max Holloway immortalized the act of pointing to the ground in UFC 300, in 2024. At the time, the Hawaiian was facing Justin gaethje And after dominating his rival for five rounds, he called him to the center of the octagon in the last 10 seconds of the fight, ending the duel with a knockout.
MAX HOLLOWAY HAS JUST PUT JUSTIN GAETHJE OUTCOLD
HOLY SHITTT#UFC300 pic.twitter.com/i9aWXIYgvf
— bradley (@cactusbr4d) April 14, 2024
Holloway repeated the feat in UFC 319, against Dustin poirierHowever, after landing a powerful series of blows, 'Diamante' opted to clinch, avoiding a greater risk of being knocked out in the final moments of the fight.
Holloway called for the center and Poirier farted lol
— José Louis (@concatenarsim) July 20, 2025
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