Max Holloway believes this it is his time. It is what he calls "The Blessed Era" after his fighting nickname "blessed". On Saturday Holloway defeated Jose Aldo in the third round by TKO. He knocked the former champion to the ground with a 1-2 strike and kept him there with a devastating round of ground and pound to become the new UFC Featherweight champion.
Max Holloway has earned his belt fight by fight.
Grumblings can be heard throughout the locker rooms and training facilities of fighters everywhere. The complaints deal with the UFC's handling of the fighters, of the pay, promotions, and the matches that are being made for each fight.
Some fighters feel they should be given certain fights or certain deals. Holloway is not one of these fighters. He earned his right to a title fight and he earned the belt he now wears as champion. Holloway has battled some of the best UFC fighters in recent history, including Anthony "ShowTime" Pettit and Ricardo Lamas. Holloway has fought and climbed his way up the ranks fight by fight until earning the right to step into the cage with Aldo.
The championship fight was worthy of the name. Holloway and Aldo came out ready to give fans a show they, and the UFC, would not soon forget. Holloway and Aldo exchanged strikes with Aldo leading after the first two rounds. Holloway had gotten rocked in the opening round and had battled his way back, refusing to give up and often fighting to stay on his feet.
In the third, however, Holloway came back with a vengeance and caught Aldo hard, dropping him to the ground. Once on the ground, Holloway landed a bevy of strikes, including elbows and hammer fists, that bounced Aldo's head off the mat. The referee, Big John McCarthy finally stepped in and it was over. The UFC had a new featherweight champion and, according to Holloway, the beginning of a new era.
What is next for the new champion?
Now that the UFC has a new champion in Holloway the question as to who he will fight next already has begun to be circulated. The featherweight division has some good contenders, including Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar. Holloway has beaten Swanson already, however, giving Edgar the edge in being the first challenger for the belt that Holloway will face.
That is unless Conor McGregor should choose to return to featherweight. If that should happen all bets are off and Holloway would take on one of the biggest names in fighting.
Max Holloway fought long and hard for the right to get his shot at the UFC featherweight title. When the opportunity came, Holloway rose to the occasion and won the belt from Aldo, long considered to be one of the greatest. Now we begin a new era in the featherweight division, an era Holloway says will be blessed, just as he is.
