The #5 ranked UFC featherweight Max Holloway appeared recently on MMASucka Radio for a wide-ranging interview with host Jeremy Brand. Holloway fights #7 ranked ranked Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC Fight Night 74 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on Sunday. Oliveira is on a four-fight win streak, while Hollaway’s streak stands at six.
One more win and a title shot at the winner of interim champion Conor McGregor and champion Jose Aldo could be in the offing for the Hawaiian. However, Holloway is not focused on the ranking numbers game.
It really doesn’t bother me,” said the 23 year old. “You know I’ve said it before I’ll say it again, we are all second place to the guy with the belt you know that’s all I want to be, that man. So I don’t care if I was number 15, I don’t care if I was ranked number one, if you don’t have the gold belt around your waist then it doesn’t matter.
You know, it’s kind of surreal, I was tripping out that it’s going to be the first main event, not only that, but the first time in Saskatoon, so to be headlining a new place where UFC is going it’s frightening, you know? It’s kind of unbelievable, I would say I didn’t believe it at first but I got the papers to say it’s official and I signed and I was like, ‘damn, I’m main event’.
Dangerous, you know, he’s savy. He’s a savage, he doesn’t mess around, that’s nothing new but you know his standup’s been coming up too so you know he’s dangerous everywhere. I just got to be smart, stick to my gameplan, get out there and do what I do best, and that’s fight. I just can’t wait to mix it up with him, he’s a young lion and I’m a young lion and there’s gonna be fireworks.
You know we’ll see if it happens, I can’t really say, we’ll wait and see what happens August 23. We’ve been coming up with great gameplans and I’m sticking to them great so I don’t see changing, you know, we got something special for this one and I can’t wait to show the world.
Holloway isn’t even focused on a title shot, and noted Frankie Edgar is ‘right there’ for one. If offered, he’s not even sure he wants to wait until after the injuries healed from the unification fight at UFC 194 on December 12. He fought four times in 2014, and twice this year already. He really likes to fight, and isn’t big on waiting.
Probably not,” he said. “I’d have to sit down with my coaches and talk about it. I like to fight and I’m a fighter, that’s the only way I make my money. I got to go out there and make my money and my living so we just have to see how it plays out.
