Former UFC champion Max Holloway broke down in tears on Thursday, while discussing the wildfires that have ravaged his native Hawaii.
The Lahaina area in Maui County has been devastated by the natural disaster this month, with at least 155 people killed and more than 1,000 still missing.
Holloway, 31, discussed the events at a pre-fight media day this week, ahead of his featherweight clash with Chan Sung Jung in Singapore on Saturday (26 August).
“You guys saw how everything went down, how the Lahaina people were let down by the state, by the government,” Holloway said. “But the Hawaii community, they stepped up. The people stepped up, the Hawaiians stepped up.
“Then, after the Hawaiians stepped up, the world stepped up. You guys are seeing everything, people helping – the UFC is helping out with ‘UFC loves Hawaii’ and so on and so on. It’s just a tough thing. I just shared my story about how some people ended up passing away.
“It’s just tough, man. Those guys [in Hawaii] are the real heroes right now. They’re going through it, and my walkout song is going to be a dedication to them, and they said we should use red [fight shorts] to solidify those guys that are in the fire and going through it.
“I’m actually going to be using red for the first time in my UFC career. I’ve been using the black, and I was able to be granted red for the shorts.”
A tearful Holloway added: “I always go in there with Hawaii on my back, but it feels a little bit heavier now.”
Holloway reigned as undisputed UFC featherweight champion from 2017 to 2019.
In his most recent fight, in April, the Hawaiian outpointed British title hopeful Arnold Allen.
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