UFC 206’s Max Holloway skeptical about title unifier with Jose Aldo

UFC interim featherweight title challenger Max Holloway will believe it when he sees it when it comes to a title shot against Jose Aldo.

The way he sees things, the newly minted undisputed champ hasn’t done much to prove he’s the toughest guy out there.

“That mother(expletive) got diagnosed with that (expletive)-itis that he’s been having lately,” Holloway (16-3 MMA, 12-3) said today on a teleconference in support of his pay-per-view headliner against Anthony Pettis (19-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) at UFC 206, which takes place Dec. 10 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. “Whenever he wants the vaccine, he can come and get it.

“We’ll see what happens. I’ve got a tough task ahead of me. That’s all I’m focused on. Then we’ll worry when Jose wants his shot.”

Holloway, the No. 2 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA featherweight rankings, repeatedly deflected questions about the current roller coaster in the featherweight division, which has seen Conor McGregor stripped of the belt and Jose Aldo promoted from interim to undisputed champ (and No. 1 in the rankings), with No. 2 Holloway and No. 9 Pettis squaring off for the interim strap.

Aldo (26-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has indicated he’d like to return to the cage in February or March, defend his title, and then get a rematch with McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC), who knocked him out in 13 seconds 11 months ago at UFC 194.

The featherweight champ battled with the UFC and threatened to retire when McGregor was given a shot at the lightweight title, which he won at UFC 205. After winning the interim title at UFC 200 with a decision over ex-champ Frankie Edgar, he moved away from other fights in favor of a rematch.

Holloway doesn’t know what to make of his turnaround, but doesn’t trust it.

“I ain’t friends with the guy,” he said of Aldo. “I don’t follow him on social media or whatever. I don’t see the stuff he posts, so who knows what’s going through his mind. But we’ll see what happens after Dec. 10. After Dec. 10, we’ll see what’s up with his mind.”

Holloway thinks fans are in for a treat when he and Pettis clash, so that’s what should get the attention – not the merry-go-round at the top.

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