Max Holloway is already hoping he can catch a rematch against Ilia Topuria at lightweight.
Holloway and Topuria fought at UFC 308 for the featherweight title, with “El Matador” landing a third round KO over “Blessed.” That led Max to move to lightweight where he’ll face Dustin Poirier in a BMF belt fight at UFC 318 on July 19th. After that? Maybe a chance at revenge against Topuria, who also moved up and just won the lightweight title.
Rather than be upset that the guy who pushed him out of featherweight is back in the same division, Holloway is excited.
“I was over the moon,” Holloway told MMA Junkie. “A lot of people thought I’d be like, ‘What the hell? Why is he coming to ‘55?’ I was over the moon when he announced he was coming to ‘55, and when I found out he was getting the title shot, I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ Even the title shot for both of them!”
“When they announced Oliveira and Topuria with the title shot, brother, I think I was the happiest man alive,” he continued. “I have history with the two guys. They’re figuring out my fight. I mean, we have this BMF title. I know ol’ boy [Topuria] likes walking around with the BMF title. But if he wants the authentic one, he knows where to find me. First thing’s first: There’s Dustin Poirier. But there’s a lot of history.”
Holloway hasn’t even been in the discussion of potential lightweight challengers for Topuria, but he believes a big win over Poirier on July 19th could change everything.
“You’re only as good as your last fight,” he said. “UFC is about moments. You go out there and make a moment just like with UFC 300. We had the chances of making moments, and if I can go out there and get a moment and get everybody excited about it, who’s to say that I’m not fighting for a title come end of the year or early next year?”
Another UFC 300 moment against Poirier would certainly push Holloway back into the conversation. It’s gonna be tough, though: Dustin Poirier beat Max Holloway the last two times they fought, so it’s an uphill battle for “Blessed.”
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
