Max Holloway’s hopes for a rematch with Ilia Topuria are on hold. Holloway revealed he injured his hand during his UFC 318 win over Dustin Poirier and will be sidelined until 2026.
Holloway had hoped an impressive win against Poirier would vault him into lightweight title contention. Currently, the four most suitable candidates to challenge the new lightweight champion are Arman Tsarukyan, Justin Gaethje, Holloway and Paddy Pimblett. Holloway is keen to avenge his prior loss to Topuria, but said a “stupid” hand injury will bench him for the rest of the year.
“If I get the next title shot, that’d be sick, but if you have hopes of me fighting before the end of the year, probably not going to happen,” Holloway said on his YouTube channel.
“I already met with my doctor, now I’ve got to go meet the specialist, but things are not looking up for me fighting one more time this year. So all of that fight talk is still on, so we just get to see how the [lightweight division] is going to pan out.”
Holloway is two fights removed from a failed featherweight title bid against Topuria, the only person to knockout Holloway in 35 professional fights. Topuria and Holloway subsequently moved full-time to lightweight. Topuria knocked out Oliveira to win the vacant 155-pound title, and Holloway defended the BMF belt against a retiring Poirier.
Holloway believes he’s a worthy next title challenger and takes issue with those discrediting him, especially those arguing that Justin Gaethje, who Holloway knocked out at UFC 300, should get a title shot first.
“A lot of people are saying Ilia and I don’t make sense because my last fight before this one was Ilia, and he did what he did to me, right?” Holloway said. “But then how do you make a case for someone that I fought?
“I know he didn’t fight Ilia, but I fought him — I did what I did to him, and he’s going to fight next for the title after just winning one [fight]? Because most of you guys don’t know what you’re talking about. Most of you guys don’t know shit about fighting.”
