ABU DHABI – Max Holloway deserved it.
Holloway (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) defeated Calvin Kattar (22-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) unbalanced in the UFC at ABC 1 – and according to his boss, Dana White, he did enough to deserve a third chance at UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
“I think we have to (give Holloway a third chance),” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during the post-fight press conference on Saturday. “I think we have to do it. I mean, when you’re the champion, you have the top five guys in the world shooting at you. When you are the number one candidate in the world, you have the top 10 guys in the world. Sometimes # 8 is more dangerous than # 3.
“Tonight, he fought a bad guy that many people thought would beat him. He went out and treated him like number 6, so he did what he needed to do spectacularly tonight. I think he deserves to fight Volkanovski again. “
Despite Volkanovski’s previous hesitation to give Holloway a third chance to win since December 2019, White thinks the circumstances are different. As a champion, White indicated that Volkanovski has to realize that Holloway is undeniably one of the most difficult challenges for him.
“Listen, he has this fight with Ortega coming,” said White. “I think for a guy like him to watch this fight tonight, when he is contender # 1 – and as I told you tonight, a lot of the people I respect thought that Calvin Kattar would win this fight tonight – the the way he looked, Volkanovski cannot even deny that Max deserves another chance. “
Before a third title fight against Holloway is scheduled, however, Volkanovski will have to pass the next challenger on the line, Brian Ortega. The two featherweights were scheduled to fight at UFC 260 on March 27. The 145 pound title fight will serve as the main co-fight for UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic against Francis Ngannou 2.
UFC on ABC 1 took place Saturday, at Etihad Arena, on Yas Island, in Abu Dhabi. The main card was broadcast simultaneously on ABC and ESPN + after the preliminaries on ESPN / ESPN +.