Max Holloway was confirmed to be missing the rest of 2025 in the aftermath of his appearance in July’s UFC 318 in New Orleans. That evening, Holloway, nicknamed “Blessed,” sustained a hand injury during his unanimous decision win over Dustin Poirier in “The Diamond’s” final career appearance.
“My right hand still hurts,” Max Holloway said in August. “If you have hopes of me fighting before the end of the year, it’s probably not going to happen. I’m seeing a specialist sometime this week and I already met with my doctor. Now, I’ve got to meet with a specialist but things are not looking up for me fighting one more time this year.”
In the wake of what he referred to as a “stupid injury,” Holloway has been like MMA fans the world over, watching the fights and critiquing the fighters. Recently, he made an appearance on Chan Sung Jung’s official YouTube channel to discuss the top pugilists in MMA’s No. 1 promotion.
Max Holloway Reiterates Status as Top Boxer in UFC in Appearance on Korean Zombie’s YouTube Channel
During his discussion with The Korean Zombie, Holloway had one person in mind as it relates to the conversation for the No. 1 boxer in the UFC, himself.
“If you don’t think I’m the best boxer in the UFC, that’s something you need to take up with yourself,” Max Holloway told Chan Sung Jung’s YouTube audience on Sunday. “When I look [at] myself in the mirror, I tell myself I’m the best boxer in the UFC and that’s why I’m one of the best fighters in the world.”
“Blessed” says that he’s wasting no time on Internet trolls who think otherwise.
“You just need self-confidence,” he said. “No Internet guy that lives with his mom that’s talking to me on his mom’s Internet is ever going to shake me. Everybody’s like ‘Why do you reply to them’?, and I say ‘Because it’s funny'”!
Max Holloway’s Got the Stats to Back Up His Claim
Max Holloway’s claim that he’s the best boxer in the UFC is not one without merit. One need look no further than the main event of the first UFC card in 2021.
That winter’s Saturday, the UFC aired for the first time on the ABC Television Network inside the United States. Holloway headlined the UFC Fight Island card in a five-round fight versus Calvin Kattar.
Max Holloway battered Kattar over the course of 25 minutes of action that evening. In so doing, he set a UFC promotional record for total strikes landed in a fight with 447. This record was eclipsed three months ago in Chicago by Khamzat Chimaev, who teed off for 529 total strikes against Dricus du Plessis in UFC 319.
Holloway Weighs In on Social Media Use
The conversation wasn’t limited to whose striking is best in the UFC. Later on in the show, Max Holloway circled back to use of social networks and how he thinks it’s detrimental to people’s lives.
“If you have weak mentality, please go get help,” he said. “Get something before you get on a livestream or you get on social media period. Social media is the devil. The funny thing is that I always tell people that come to the livestream or even comment on my things or comment on Instagram talking wildness, I’m like ‘Brother, you’re the same person that if you saw me in-person, you’d be asking Can I get a picture? Can I a signature?'”.
Final Thoughts
Opinions on social media use aside, when Max Holloway stated his case that he’s still the best boxer in the UFC even with a failed bid for the UFC Featherweight Championship on his resume, he means it.
Almost five years ago, this man put on a clinic in Abu Dhabi and set a record in the process. No matter who his next opponent is, there’s one certainty:
Get your popcorn ready before the fight begins. You will not want to miss a moment.
