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Max Holloway focused on Anthony Pettis, winning interim title at UFC 206

Fighters Network
05
Dec

If you don’t know who Max Holloway is and consider yourself a true MMA fan you need to do some research because come Saturday, he could be the new UFC interim featherweight champion at UFC 206.

The opportunity of a lifetime recently became available to Holloway and his opponent, former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, due to the UFC stripping Conor McGregor of the undisputed featherweight title which elevated their fight to an interim title bout. Sources tell Ring TV.com, McGregor was stripped due to his inactivity in the weight class and the fact the “Notorious” one recently became the UFC lightweight champion at UFC 205, therefore creating a logjam for challengers like Holloway in the 145-pound division.

For Holloway, the mindset and mentality remains the same even though the stakes have been severely raised.

“I always come to fight so nothing changes for me, other than this time when I win I’ll get a nice shiny belt around my waist thanks to Conor’s situation with the UFC,” Holloway said. “It is what it is. I’m coming out there to win and the fans in Toronto are going to see some cool s__t. Anthony Pettis and myself will definitely put on a show and he’s my main focus not the belt.”



Holloway hasn’t lost a fight since losing to McGregor at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen in August 2013. Since then, he has racked up nine consecutive victories over some of the top contenders in the division such as Cub Swanson, Jeremy Stephens and Ricardo Lamas just to name a few.

The “Blessed One’s” recent streak of victories is so impressive he now holds the UFC record for most consecutive wins in a division without a title shot. Now with his ultimate goal in front of him, Holloway feels the long road he has taken to get to this stage has him more than ready to become a new champion.

“At the end of the day losing to Conor was a good thing because it wasn’t my night or time and it made me work that much harder to get back here now that it’s my time,” Holloway said. “Everything happens for a reason and all you can do is keep grinding and keep working hard. Now it’s on me to show people why I’m the best in the world at 145 pounds and that’s what I plan on doing Dec. 10.”

If Holloway is able to win a piece of the featherweight crown, he’ll be in line to take on Jose Aldo for the undisputed featherweight title in the early part of 2017.

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