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#2. Max Holloway has already fought down in the UFC rankings twice now
Given how active Max Holloway has been in the UFC's 145-pound division, there aren't many options left since he has fought down in the rankings twice now. First, getting back on track, the Hawaiian was paired with Calvin Kattar, who many believe is an extremely potent threat on the feet.
Prior to the fight against Massachusetts' Kattar, Max Holloway was in 'no man's land'. With two losses to the current champion, it was well established that the Hawaiian star would have tons of ground to make up if he were ever to contend for UFC gold again. After setting a significant strike record against Kattar, it seemed Holloway's title hopes still had a heartbeat after all.
Next, in a flex to show he's the clear number one contender, Holloway took out back-to-back contenders with his recent performance against 'El Pantera'. Chan Sung Jung is the only UFC fighter in the top-5 that Holloway hasn't defeated, bar the champ Alexander Volkanovski.
With so few options, there aren't too many available fights for Max Holloway. On a recent episode of Ariel Helwani's The MMA Hour, Alexander Volkanovski welcomed a third fight with Max Holloway following the conclusion of the Yair Rodriguez fight.
If the champion is on board, it looks like all the signs are pointing to a featherweight trilogy.
#1. Max Holloway deserves the third fight based on his overall UFC featherweight record
Max Holloway defeated Jose Aldo twice. With seven title defenses in the UFC, few, if any, will match the ferocity of Aldo's title reign. While Alexander Volkanovski has also beaten 'Junior', it's the way in which Holloway usurped the featherweight crown that made him such an imposing challenger.
After winning the UFC interim featherweight title in 2016, 'Blessed' unified the belts against Aldo in 2017. The Hawaiian star would not only defeat Aldo, but finish him with strikes in front of a sold-out crowd in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After becoming the undisputed 145-pound titleholder, Max Holloway cemented his status as one of the greats with a third finish against Jose Aldo.
In their second outing at UFC 218 in Detroit, Max Holloway would polish off Aldo again. The former champion would TKO Aldo in the third round to earn his first title defense. Following the contest, Max Holloway's name began to be shared in 'GOAT' conversations.
Max Holloway is on the precipise of title contention. With back-to-back victories over ranked competition and a possible 'FOTY' candidate, 'Blessed' is closing in on a third fight with Australia's Volkanovski.
If Max Holloway continues to put up performances like he has lately, there will be no denying the former champion his third crack at 'The Great'.
