Max Holloway not concerned with interim tag at UFC 206: 'I'm a fighter, I want to fight'

TORONTO – Max Holloway believes he falls into a category that consists of a dying breed of fighter. He sees a shrinking group of athletes that were once willing to compete under any circumstances but said he refuses to be any other way.

Holloway (16-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC), who fights Anthony Pettis (19-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) for the interim UFC featherweight title on Saturday at UFC 206, is currently riding a nine-fight winning streak over the past three years. During that stretch he’s taken on big names, unknown names, ranked fighters and unranked fighters, but all along the way he said he accepted every fight presented without pause.

UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby recently stated Holloway was willing to risk his momentum by accepting a matchup with relative unknown Doo Ho Choi in the UFC Fight Night 96 main event in Portland in October. The fight didn’t materialize due to a visa issue for Choi, but Holloway stands by the fact he was happy to take a fight where he had significantly more to lose than gain, and he wants his fellow fighters to take note.

“I’m a fighter, I want to fight,” Holloway said at today’s UFC 206 open workouts. “If you want to prove you’re the best in the world, why the (expletive) you being a crybaby? Don’t be (expletive) crying and (expletive) and this and that. I was willing to fight whoever. I’ll fight anybody, anywhere, any time, any place. It shows.

“If you believe you’re the best in the world you fight anybody, anywhere, any time. That’s one more stronger case for me when I get the belt. I’ve fought my last five guys, they’re all ranked in the top-five, top-seven. UFC is going to be scratching their heads like, ‘What the hell do we do with this guy with the belt? He fought all our contenders.’ That’s their problem to focus on. I’m going to focus on fighting and fighting only. It is what it is. That fight fell through, and here we are with Pettis.”

UFC 206 takes place at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

The fight with Pettis is hugely significant for Holloway’s career. On top of the chance to become just the sixth fighter in UFC history to earn a 10-fight winning streak inside the octagon, Holloway can add the interim 145-pound belt to his resume.

Originally Holloway vs. Pettis was slated as a three-round co-headliner for the card. But when UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier suffered an injury and was forced out of his matchup with Anthony Johnson, the UFC opted to promote Holloway and Pettis to the top of the lineup and put an interim 145-pound title up for grabs.

The fallout from that decision was widespread, because former featherweight champ Conor McGregor was stripped of the title, and former interim champ Jose Aldo was promoted to McGregor’s previous position, despite “The Notorious” knocking the Brazilian out in just 13 seconds at UFC 194 in December.

Holloway, No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA featherweight rankings, doesn’t have much concern about whether people consider the entire title picture to be legitimate or a farce. At 25, “Blessed” intends to have a much longer future in the sport, and piggybacking off his thoughts of fighting anyone at any time, said he’s going to go through everyone eventually anyway.

“Most people have been saying, ‘This is for the real belt, this should be the real belt,'” Holloway said. “It is what it is. I just look at it as my golden ticket. I get my belt. We know we’re going to fight next when we get the belt and it is what it is. Who cares? The belt is the belt, it’s great, it’s pretty, it’s beautiful; you get a nice pretty payday, too, so I ain’t complaining.”

As far as the matchup with No. 9-ranked Pettis, there is only upside for Holloway. Adding the name of a former UFC lightweight champion to his resume is meaningful in several ways, but he said the style in which he’s going to make it happen is what’s most important.

Pettis may be the more decorated athlete at this stage of his career in terms of titles and accomplishments, but Holloway said he’s going to prove himself the superior fighter at UFC 206.

“They’ve been going around saying I’ve never fought a guy like Anthony Pettis,” Holloway said. “Let’s get one damn thing straight: He never fought a guy like Max Holloway, and he’s about to find out.”

To hear more from Holloway, check out the video above. Or for the full interview, click on the video below.

For more on UFC 206, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.