Max Hollowayone of the most prominent stars of the UFC that tomorrow he will compete for the title of featherweight ante Ilia Topuria (UFC 308), has revealed what he considers his biggest regret in his career in mixed martial arts.
And it is not about defeats but about pending accounts: we are referring to his pain for not having been able to face Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title in UFC 223 due to health problems.
“Blessed” was scheduled to fight Khabibbut a series of complications prevented him from entering the octagon, leaving in the air what could have been one of the most anticipated fights of his career and of the UFC. For Max, the possibility of facing the undefeated champion and one of the most feared fighters was a challenge that remained in the past, without the possibility of redemption… and it still hurts.
“That still hurts me. I wish we could go back in time to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov. He was considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world at the time. Everyone was talking about his strength his skill, so I wanted to go in and feel it, see what these guys were talking about, you know? It just kinda sucks. But things happen for a reason, and I truly believe that. We didn’t get the Khabib fight, and I hate to overlook opponents or anything, but they call another man Khabib 2.0 so we’ll see what happens (Islam says it). This illustration is not too far from reality, you know? “I have to do what I have to do and then we will see what happens.”
(Max Holloway)
The Frustration of a Warrior
Max Holloway shows himself to be the tireless warrior he has always been, willing to accept any challenge. Although this fight with Nurmagomedov could not happen, the BMF champion maintains his focus on the present and his next fights, aware that a fighter’s legacy is also measured by the fights he could not face.
The truth is that tomorrow he will have a tough test that is not called Khabib but also comes with his “hype”: Ilia Topuria.
And you, what do you think of Max Holloway’s words? We read you in the comments.
