Max Holloway has some pointed phrases for Ilia Topuria.
On Saturday, Holloway faces Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 for the “BMF” title bout. Although the bout is at 155 kilos, the previous featherweight champion made it clear he’s not accomplished with 145 kilos, telling reporters he desires to maintain his choices open. He additionally threw some shade at newly topped featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.
“We’ll see what occurs,” Holloway mentioned on the UFC 300 media day. “On this sport, having choices is at all times good. Very first thing’s first is Justin Gaethje, however there’s a enjoyable combat down there. The person retains speaking, and I preserve listening to. My solely recommendation to that guys is when the contract comes up, signal on the dotted line. Don’t make no excuses.”
Topuria gained the title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February. Even earlier than that, he dismissed Holloway as a possible title challenger, saying it wouldn’t make sense to combat somebody who misplaced to Volkanovski 3 times.
Holloway has his personal ideas about what doesn’t make sense, suggesting Topuria already ducked him throughout his rise within the ranks.
“Questionable,” Holloway mentioned when requested about Topuria. “That’s it. Questionable. Everyone retains asking me, what do I consider Topuria? He’s questionable. I’ll combat him. Go ask him that query. Ask him that query about me. On the finish of the day, UFC, I at all times need to combat for the title, I at all times need to do that, loads of contenders, they gave me loads of up and coming contenders, and there’s one which didn’t come my approach. You may ask UFC about that, you possibly can ask him the query.”
However any matchup between Holloway and Topuria comes later. For one factor, Topuria seems to be destined for a rematch with Volkanovski later this yr. For one more, Holloway has to take care of Justin Gaethje this weekend. The final time Holloway tried to leap as much as 155 kilos and win a title, he misplaced a choice to Dustin Poirier.
However this time round, Holloway mentioned issues are totally different.
“That Dustin combat, it’s what it’s,” Holloway mentioned. “My supervisor was calling me ‘Muffin High Max’ that entire camp. On the finish of the day, that’s what it was. For this combat, we needed to placed on the fitting weight, we needed to be sensible, we needed to be robust, however we nonetheless needed to be quick. I feel we discovered a really even floor, and also you guys get to see come Saturday evening. …
“They got here with a chance, and alternatives like that, you don’t say no,” Holloway continued. “It was only a time factor. With the [Dustin] one, it was like six weeks, and in the event you depend down the 2 weeks you come down from coaching camp, that’s like 4 weeks. On the finish of the day, actual fighters keep prepared, like I at all times say. I really feel like I used to be prepared.
“When you go watch that Dustin combat, there’s a pair issues I needed to change, and the result is totally different. Now, we had 10 weeks. … You guys get to see the distinction. Lots of people like wanting prior to now, like trying to find stuff, they preserve forgetting what’s proper in entrance of them. You guys are going to see come Saturday evening.”
UFC 300 takes place on Saturday on the T-Cell Area in Las Vegas and is headlined by a lightweight heavyweight title combat between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill.
