Max Holloway has been headlining UFC cards for nearly a decade. The former featherweight champion knows all about the rhythm of resting, fighting and recovering.
He will be headlining UFC Singapore this weekend. Holloway faces the Korean Zombie and the Hawaiian thinks it is significant that his opponent is coming off a lengthy layoff,
“It’s been one year four months since his last fight and I think we’re going to see the best Zombie there is come Saturday night because he had so much time off. He knows what it takes to be a champion, to get to those title fights. You are going to see a great fight.”
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Long layoff
The last time Holloway fought in Singapore was 2014. He was coming off a decision loss to an up and coming prospect called Conor McGregor but got his career back on track by stopping Will Chope at Marina Bay Sands.
Holloway did once have an entire year off. After beating Jose Aldo to defend his featherweight title the Hawaiian had to wait a year to take on Brian Ortega, with the Hawaiian suffering an injury in training that delayed the fight.
The Korean Zombie finds himself in a similar situation having pulled out of the aborted UFC Korea card with a shoulder injury. Holloway knows from experience how valuable a long layoff can be and thinks his opponent will have reaped the benefits,
“I think this is the longest rest he has had in his UFC career. With him being able to rest so long, he took care of his body, I think we are going to see a hungry Zombie.”
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Amazing opportunity
Holloway is five years younger than his opponent. He was an impressionable teenager when Chan Sung Jung was making his name in the WEC and is delighted to finally have the opportunity to face the Korean veteran himself,
“I’ve wanted to fight Zombie forever. He’s one of the WEC guys I used to watch growing up. I got to fight Cub, I got to fight Jose, I get to fight one of the other guys I look up to. It’s amazing.”
Holloway is coming off a win over Arnold Allen at UFC on ESPN 44. But he has three recent losses to Alex Volkanovski and knows that his stock has fallen despite being ranked #1 in the featherweight division.
For Holloway this is just part and parcel of life as a UFC fighter,
“You’re only as good as your last fight and you’re either flavour of the month or no flavour at all.”
THAT @AlexVolkanovski performance against Holloway in super slow-mo is even more epic 🤯🤯🤯🤯
📺📱 All new #UFC276 Fight Motion is live on @UFCFightPass and at https://t.co/wlMMuZ3KYC pic.twitter.com/l8RgvJDpk7
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) July 11, 2022
Another crack
Having been beaten three times by Volkanovski the Hawaiian knows he is not in a position to demand a title shot. UFC matchmakers won’t exactly be drooling at the prospect of matching him with the Australian again.
But the 31 year old made it clear he has not given up on the belt. Holloway thinks that an emphatic win over the Korean Zombie could be all it takes to set up that fourth fight,
“UFC is known for putting the best against the best. I’m the #1 guy in the world right now, I go out against Zombie and get my hand raised, get another crack at the title. If you don’t want to be a champion what are you doing in the sport?”
