Champ Max Holloway: Everyone says Brian Ortega is the future, but I'm the present

UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway wants to defend his title against Brian Ortega this summer.

Holloway (19-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) has seen the hype Ortega (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) generated for himself with a first-round knockout of Frankie Edgar at UFC 222 earlier this month. “Blessed” is aware of how many fans and pundits believe the biggest threat to his championship reign is on the horizon, and unsurprisingly, he’s embracing the challenge.

“My interest in fighting him; I’m very intrigued,” Holloway told MMAjunkie. “I can’t wait to fight. I love fighting and I love competition. You want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. The best is ‘Blessed,’ and right now he’s saying and people are saying he’s the one. I can’t wait. We’ll find out.”

Holloway was originally meant to headline UFC 222, which took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. An ankle injury forced him to withdraw from his scheduled title defense against Edgar. That’s when Ortega stepped in on short notice and became the first to stop “The Answer” inside the distance, solidifying his position as the top featherweight contender.

Although he said he did everything possible to fight, Holloway was ultimately not cleared for UFC 222, marking the first fight withdrawal of his amateur or professional career. He said it was a difficult situation, because, “I’m so used to just having life go one certain way, then the rug got pulled right from under me.”

The fight with Edgar is one Holloway wanted for his legacy, and he said he hopes the matchup can still come together in the future. Ortega emerged with his win, though, and now Holloway has an undefeated challenger who has finished every opponent he’s faced inside the octagon. Holloway said he relishes an opponent who has proven to be such a multi-dimensional threat.

“The Hawaiians had history with Frankie, but then Ortega came out and did his thing,” Holloway said. “When people see danger, they like to walk away. When I see danger, I want to take a peek. When you put us in a room and there’s a red button that says, ‘Don’t press.’ I’m going to go over there and press the damn button and see what happens. That’s just the kind of person I am. He proved to the world why he’s the No. 1 contender. Looks like I’ve got a new cupcake flavor, so I’m excited. I like horchata, so I can get that horchata flavor – it’s delicious.”

The buzz for the 145-pound title matchup was palpable in the wake of UFC 222, and Ortega said he thinks a clash with Holloway is the biggest fight the division has seen since Jose Aldo fought Conor McGregor at UFC 194 in December 2015. Holloway agrees, and he thinks much of that anticipation stems from the fact the general public has doubts about his chances.

“I think this fight is huge,” Holloway said. “He’s got a lot of fans. It’s exciting. I think it’s a huge fight. I think people are talking more about this one than the Frankie one. It’s cool; this is finally the first fight that I didn’t watch growing up. Everyone is telling me he’s the future, but I’m right here. I’m the present.”

Having naysayers is something Holloway thrives off, he said. It wasn’t long ago when many media outlets, including MMAjunkie, named Holloway the 2017 “Fighter of the Year.” He may have suffered an injury that caused him to skip a beat in terms of his consistent octagon presence, but Holloway said his skills are still progressing, not regressing.

“Last year I was the GOAT featherweight, now this year I’m a nobody and a guy who is going to lose my belt because time passed me,” Holloway said. “But last year was three months ago. These guys think they’re going to beat me and it’s just another reason why I’m going to prove I’m the best to do it. These are the kind of fights I want. I want the fights people think it’s challenging. And it is challenging. Then when I go out there it’s like, ‘Wow.’ Keep doubting. It’s only more hype for me when I go out there and do my thing.”

Holloway said he’s still not cleared to fight after his injury, but he’s returned to training and expects to get final approval from his doctor within four weeks. That puts Holloway on track for a summer return, he said, and there are a couple dates which he has his eye on.

Hawaiian media outlet KHON2 recently reported that UFC and the Hawaii Tourism Authority were in talks to bring UFC 227 to Holloway’s home state in August. The negotiations have apparently hit a standstill, though, leaving doubt about whether the event can happen in the proposed timeframe.

Holloway has been beating the drum for the UFC to host a fight card in Hawaii for several years. He said he’d like nothing more than to defend his title against Ortega in front of his people, but if the UFC can’t make it work, he thinks a spot on July’s UFC 226 card, which features a heavyweight title bout between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier in the main event, would be a perfect fit.

“It’s a step in the right direction for UFC-Hawaii and we’ll see what happens,” Holloway said. “I want to fight on that ‘DC’ card if everything goes good. If it’s Hawaii then it’s Hawaii or if it’s the Ninth Island in Las Vegas at 226, that’d be great too.”

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