Max Holloway Returns to the Octagon this Saturday

A win puts Max Holloway back in title contention

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Max Holloway on Conor McGregor: “He’s calling out boxers, content creators, bare knuckle fighters”

Max Holloway returns to the cage this Saturday, headlining a UFC Fight Night against the “Korean Zombie” Jung-Chan-sung in Singapore.

Even though it is a Fight Night card, it will air in America much earlier. Due to the difference in time, the main card is scheduled to begin at 8am ET, with the main event taking place shortly after 11am. It is a significant bout for Holloway, who has the chance to end the iconic Chan-sung’s career.

“This might be his retirement fight,” says Holloway. “You’ve got to give this man his flowers while he’s still fighting. And why have you ever watched a boring Korean Zombie fighter? Or a boring fight of mine? Never. It’s going to be fireworks all fight.”

Contents

1. Max Holloway on Conor McGregor: “He’s calling out boxers, content creators, bare knuckle fighters”
2. Upcoming schedule for ONE

Holloway (24-7) enters a massive favorite. He is coming off a very impressive win against Arnold Allen in April, a five-round battle where Holloway successfully answered a litany of questions about whether he was still an elite fighter. That victory marked the third in his last four, with the lone loss coming against Alexander Volkanovski, who pummeled Holloway last July.

Incredibly, Holloway has won 17 of his last 21 fights, with three of his four losses suffered against Volkanovski. Chan-sung (17-7) is also coming off a loss to Volkanovski, who absolutely pieced him apart in a fourth round TKO that went far longer than it should have.

“In this sport, you’re only as good as your last fight,” says Holloway, 31, who is five years younger than Chan-sung. “People think I’m this old veteran. I’m still young. People say I’m damaged. That’s crazy to me. I’m taking care of my body, my mind, and my brain. But I get it. The odds in this fight would be much closer if I wasn’t coming off a win. I’m expecting the most dangerous Korean Zombie.”

A win would propel Holloway back within Volkanovski’s neighborhood. While he may need another victory (someone like Ilia Topuria, if he is not getting the next title shot, would make sense), a win here puts Holloway back within striking distance of the champ.

“We’ll see what happens, but first thing is first–Korean Zombie is my focus,” says Holloway. “I do want my belt back, and I wouldn’t mind going after the BMF belt. I want fights that bring me one step closer to being the best in the world.”

April 15, 2023

UFC on ESPN: Holloway vs. Allen

Max returns to form.

Defeats Arnold Allen via UD
(49–46, 49–46, 48–47)

Solid performance from Max

Recreates the Lamas moment at the end of the fight. pic.twitter.com/WvvCYZ5KDs

— Ocelot MMA (@Ocelot_MMA) August 22, 2023

There was considerable momentum for Aljamain Sterling to be next in line for a bout against Volkanovski, but that all changed once Sean O’Malley defeated him this past Saturday at UFC 292. Sterling now believes he will stay in the bantamweight division and seek a rematch instead of moving to featherweight.

“That blew my mind,” says Holloway. “Why would someone come to the division and get a title shot right away?”

On the subject of different fights and a BMF belt, Holloway was also asked about a potential rematch with Conor McGregor.

“Conor’s going to do whatever Conor wants to do,” says Holloway. “Conor changes every day. He’s calling out boxers, content creators, bare knuckle fighters. If aliens came from outer space, he’d probably call them out, too.”

A native of Hawaii, Holloway has been in constant pain over the loss of life and wreckage caused by the wildfires. The island of Maui has been hit particularly hard, and the wind-driven fires have caused absolute havoc.

“Everyone in Lahaina, I hope they stay strong,” says Holloway. “I know it may look like there is no new beginning, but there will be. We’re all behind you. I’m behind you. The tragedy is unreal, but we need to stay strong.

“When the government was lollygagging, you saw the true spirit of the people coming together. There are places helping, like the Maui Food Bank and the Hawaii Community Foundation, so we can help fight together. We’ll continue to stand behind you.”

If Holloway defeats Zombie, he will likely discuss Hawaii in his post-fight speech. But first he needs the victory, which he is expected to collect on Saturday.

“I need to get this win and make a stamp,” says Holloway. “The Arnold fight, I needed to remind people who I was. Now I need to show I’m undeniable.”

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Upcoming schedule for ONE

ONE Championship recently released the cards for ONE Fight Night 14 and 15, and there is a lot of anticipation surrounding those fights.

ONE Fight Night 14 is next month on September 29 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, with a live primetime start time in the United States on Prime. The card is headlined by Stamp Fairtex against Ham Seo Hee in an interim atomweight MMA title bout. If Fairtex wins, she will become a three-sport world champion.

One of the newest fights announced is a bantamweight bout pitting John Lineker against Stephen Loman. Lineker defeated Kim Jae Woong earlier this month, so it is a quick turnaround to face the second-ranked Loman. But it should be worth it: the winner should be the next contender for the belt, which is currently held by Fabrício Andrade.

A change to ONE Fight Night 14 was also announced, as ONE women’s atomweight Muay Thai champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues now challenges Smilla Sundell for the women’s strawweight Muay Thai title. Rodrigues replaces Jackie Buntan, who is unable to fight due to a family matter.

The following month, Mikey Musumeci returns to Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok on October 6 at ONE Fight Night 15. He will look to extend his winning streak in an openweight submission grappling match against Shinya Aoki. Musumeci is quickly becoming a force for ONE, and he is a strong candidate to appear on their first US card in 2024.

Two other newly announced bouts for ONE Fight Night 15 are Jonathan Di Bella defending kickboxing world title against Danial Williams, and Jonathan Haggerty against Fabricio Andrade for the vacant bantamweight kickboxing title. With a win, Andrade would hold ONE bantamweight titles in MMA and kickboxing.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.