Islam Makhachev Welcomes Title Fight with Max Holloway: 'Let's go, let's do it.'
08/07/2024 09:27 AM
UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is open to fighting Max Holloway next time out, should the Hawaiian defeat Ilia Topuria to become the featherweight champion at UFC 308.
Holloway is looking to reclaim his featherweight belt, and if he wins, Islam Makhachev wants the Hawaiian to move up to lightweight. Makhachev is looking for new contenders to fight at lightweight and he believes a bout against Holloway makes a lot of sense and would be a fun fight for the fans.
"Why not?" he said of a Holloway fight at a recent Q&A session (via MMAMania). "I already beat Arman. If UFC puts him next, that's no problem. But, I'm not excited much [by Tsarukyan]. I need new name, new challenger. I already beat Arman. If Max wants, let's do it. I don't need his BMF belt, but Max is a good name. It's going to be a crazy fight for the fans. If he beats Topuria — this is a hard match-up for him. If he beats him and UFC wants this match? Let's go."
Although many believe Arman Tsarukyan should be the next title contender at lightweight, Islam Makhachev is hopeful Max Holloway will win so he can have the super fight next time out.
Max Holloway called for Islam Makhachev bout before UFC 300
At UFC 300, Max Holloway moved up to lightweight to face Justin Gaethje for the BMF belt. In the scrap, Holloway had a ton of success and scored a fifth-round knockout over Gaethje.
Although Holloway is now moving back down to featherweight, he did show interest in a return to lightweight to face Makhachev.
"I saw Islam talk about, 'Oh, this fight makes no sense,' and blah, blah, blah," Max said leading up to UFC 300. "Brother, you should've fought Justin in February. If I can go out there and get my hand raised as we plan on doing, there's a lot of fights that can be there for us. And one of them being the 155 champ, which I think would be a fun one."
Holloway, of course, was scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title shot on short notice at UFC 223 but he was not medically cleared.
