Max Holloway Talented And Rising
Max Holloway is a fighter who back in August of 2013 was on a two-fight losing streak. Not sure if you can call that a streak, but none the less he had two losses to his name. And in the sphere of the Ultimate Fighting Championships that could have meant one thing. You lose this next fight and it may be time to pack your bags. We have seen fighters get kicked to the curb for a lot less in the ever-demanding upper echelons of the worlds biggest mixed martial arts promotion.
Now 8 – 3 in the UFC, Holloway isn’t the type for shooting his mouth off at any given opportunity. Very understated, cool calm and clinical, he has let his fighting speak for itself. Which in the modern world of self-promotion can sometimes be detrimental to a career. As now more than ever, personality plays such a huge part in the fight game and in the entertainment industry overall.
Fans of Conor McGregor will be familiar with the fact that the Irishman was the last opponent to put a blemish on the Hawaiian’s record. But since that loss Holloway has been on a tear, amassing 5 wins out of 5 with only one of those going to a decision. He most certainly looks to have steadied the ship in his rise through the ranks, now finding himself inside the top ten in the world.
Still only 23… At just age 19, Bloody Elbow ranked Holloway the number 7 featherweight in their world prospecting report. Four years on he finds himself just a few short steps away from title contention and realising his dream.
Holloways Is Ready To Challenge For Glory
But with great glory comes great challenges. And this weekend the man from Waianae faces one of his stiffest challenges to date in the form of Cub Swanson. Swanson 8 years his elder, with almost double the amount of professional fights is a true veteran of the sport. The former WEC fighter has always been there or thereabouts in terms of contention.
Swanson is coming off what must have been a gut-wrenching loss to Frankie Edgar. As the winner of that bout, at least on the surface it seemed was inline to get the next shot against the champion Jose Aldo… while in reality that had probably already been decided. Swanson as well as Edgar no doubt went into that fight thinking it was the last hurdle before their inevitable title shot. But it wasn’t to be and now Cub faces a young upstart who is on a tear in Max Holloway.
If Blessed can defeat the perennial contender if he can emerge from this fight the victor at this pivotal point in his career. He could finally find himself inside that tight-knit pack chasing the featherweight crown. If he manages to steal Cub Swanson’s fire this weekend. Will people be able to say he’s not top 5 material? He may not get there straight away, but a win this weekend for Max Holloway would set a huge marker for the Hawaiian. And set the cat amongst the pigeons in the elite of the UFC’s elite featherweights.
Images courtesy of gracietechnics.com & ufc.com