Max Holloway thinks the UFC purposely avoided matching him up with Ilia Topuria until now.
Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) challenges featherweight champion Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the UFC 308 main event Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Topuria defeated Bryce Mitchell and Josh Emmett to earn his title shot against then-champion Alexander Volkanovski, whom he knocked out to claim the belt at UFC 298. Meanwhile, Holloway knocked off top contenders Calvin Kattar, Yair Rodriguez and Arnold Allen.
Holloway believes the UFC was protecting Topuria from him.
“A lot of people are giving Ilia heat for the strength of his schedule that he had to the title fight, but he did what he was supposed to do. He won,” Holloway said on his YouTube channel.
“He beat a guy (Volkanovski) that I had three times to beat, and he did it. He had the shot, but I believe that the UFC made me fight every other contender at ’45 for a reason. We’re here now, and I’m going to prove, come Oct. 26, why the UFC was shelling him away from me.”
Holloway defended his featherweight title three times until he ran into Volkanovski. After three losses to Volkanovski, many thought Holloway would never be in the title picture again.
“Having the career I had of being at ’45 for forever, I got to fight the old generation guys, and now Ilia is considered one of the new generation guys,” Holloway said. “I’m excited to go out there and show that I’m still here. I’m still a part of this new generation. I’m only 32. I turn 33 in December. Sky’s the limit.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
