My Favourite Fighter: Max Holloway

My Favourite Fighter: Max Holloway

By Jack Maher 

I’ve been debating whether to include this line as I’m fully aware how much it may make some of you cringe, but every time Max Holloway fights I truly feel ‘Blessed’ to be watching.

The featherweight champion fights with a style that I hope to see every time I tune in to watch MMA, but it’s a style you rarely see employed, at least effectively. As the sport and it’s fanbase have matured, fans have learnt to appreciate all aspects of a fight and not call for fighters to ‘stand and bang’ at every occasion, and while I’m in this boat, not much excites me as much as watching two fighters throw caution out the window and trade bombs in the centre of the cage with little regard for personal safety.

This is something we seen from Holloway against Ricardo Lamas, with the astonishing thing being Holloway was comfortably winning the fight and was in no way obliged to go for the finish, yet he did. He pointed to the ground, and dared Lamas to slug it out to close out the round.

Part of why I like Holloway so much is down to how he reminds me of MMA legend Anderson Silva. As a younger fan of the sport, I missed Silva’s prime years, and while footage of him at his best marvels me, it doesn’t have the same effect of watching live. That’s no issue however, as Holloway’s speed, precision, footwork and showboating thrill me in a way I’m sure prime Silva would have, but not to the point where I feel I am watching a tribute act and more to the point where I feel like I’m watching a new generational star.

Holloway has steadily improved before our eyes, and may not even be in his prime yet, but his current 13 fight win streak will stick in my mind for years to come, especially if he extends it to 14 against Dustin Poirier this weekend. When me and my friends discuss fighters we enjoy watching, Holloway always comes up from my end of the conversation.

I’ve watched Holloway beat former champions like Anthony Pettis and Jose Aldo, undefeated prospects like Brian Ortega, and veterans like Cub Swanson, and every time I was entertained. My eyes were practically glued to screen in the fourth round of his fight with Brian Ortega, due to the unholy amount of violence Holloway unleashed on Ortega on the feet.

Part of why Holloway is my favourite fighter is because of how he has rebounded from hardship. While Holloway is known for his dominance these days, not too long ago he was known for coming up short against higher opposition levels earlier in his career, as Holloway lost fights with Dennis Bermudez, Conor McGregor and the aforementioned Poirier in his early 20’s, yet Holloway took those losses in his stride and improved greatly, something I majorly admire.

I still remember last summer, UFC 226 was right around the corner and Holloway-Ortega was set to co-main event. I was having some friends over to watch the fights with and it’s safe to say we were all excited to watch Holloway fight.

Days before the event, disaster struck, and Holloway was pulled from his fight due to bizarre ‘concussion like symptoms’. Holloway would eventually return, but at the time there where major questions about his health and future in the sport, and my concern for Holloway made me realise theirs no fighter I wanted to see succeed more than ‘Blessed’