Max Holloway eyes move to lightweight after first knockout loss at UFC 308

Max Holloway has experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows throughout his mixed martial arts career but also specifically over the course of 2024.

The fan favourite and former featherweight champion delivered one of the greatest moments in the sport’s history in April when he finished Justin Gaethje in the final seconds of their BMF Title matchup at the ballyhooed UFC 300, and at the opposite end of that spectrum suffered the first knockout loss of his career in the main event of UFC 308 this past weekend.

His third-round loss to reigning featherweight champion Ilia Topuria also likely signified the final time Holloway will compete in the 145-pound division.

“I mean, ’55 looks really good right now,” Holloway told reporters in Abu Dhabi at his post-fight press conference about a prospective full-time move to the 155-pound division.

Holloway, 32, has never missed weight during his UFC tenure that began all the way back in 2012 and he said cutting back down to featherweight after facing Gaethje at lightweight earlier this year was not an excuse for losing to Topuria.

In fact, he explained afterwards this latest cut was his best cut down to 145 pounds and looking at challenges in a different division is more about moving on to the next phase of his fighting career.

“What else is there to do?” Holloway asked rhetorically about continuing to compete at 145 pounds. “I had a couple of times to reclaim (the featherweight championship but couldn’t).”

Holloway is now 0-4 in his last four featherweight title fights and has not ruled over the division in five years.

The pride of Waianae, Hawaii took the torch from Jose Aldo and filled the void left by Conor McGregor, who previously had left the division to pursue lightweight gold as soon as he beat Aldo to win the featherweight belt.

Holloway was MMA’s top 145-pounder for a few years until he ran into Alexander Volkanovski at the end of 2019.

Volkanovski would go on to sweep their trilogy, winning a five-round decision each time they fought. Volkanovski lost the title to Topuria in February, and it looks like that rematch could materialize in 2025.

Holloway said he will sit down with his team to discuss what’s next before possibly returning to action next summer.

He also explained he will be taking plenty of time to relax and recover from the loss. Holloway has absorbed close to 2,300 significant strikes during UFC competition. That’s more than any other fighter in UFC history, and many of them have been head strikes, so in the leadup to UFC 308 he was asked about brain health. Holloway said he takes that very seriously and encouraged his fellow fighters and athletes to learn about brain health and care for themselves.

Holloway mentioned taking on some of the “new guys coming up (at 145 pounds) would be fun” but thinks the potential matchups at 155 pounds are even more appealing overall.

“Everyone there and the names there, it would look really exciting to put my name in the mix,” Holloway added. 

Thanks to his win over Gaethje less than seven months ago, Holloway is currently the No. 5-ranked contender in the 155-pound division.

His only other time fighting at lightweight prior to UFC 300 was when he moved up to compete for an interim title on relatively short notice while he was the reigning featherweight champ. He lost his attempt to become a two-weight titleholder by dropping a five-round decision to Dustin Poirier in a rematch of his UFC debut.

The lightweight version of Holloway that beat Gaethje was different than the puffed-up featherweight who challenged Poirier for that interim belt, though. Holloway added muscle ahead of UFC 300, and his strikes had more power behind them. He also maintained his ability to move like a featherweight, which can be an advantage over most regular lightweights.

It was one of his most complete and impressive outings of his career and there is no shortage of compelling future matchups to consider at lightweight that involve Holloway, whether the official BMF Title is on the line or not.

Possible rematches with Charles Oliveira, Conor McGregor, or even Poirier again, could be on the radar and would make for entertaining BMF-style matchups.

Dan Hooker, Michael Chandler, Renato Moicano or Paddy Pimblett, all of whom are ranked below Holloway at lightweight, would also be opponents for Holloway that could draw potential interest.