Max Holloway Is The NEW UFC Featherweight Champion
OHHHHHHHHHHH @BlessedMMA DROPS ALDO IN ROUND 3!!!!! #UFC212 pic.twitter.com/jCRYvEuHSo
— UFC (@ufc) June 4, 2017
What a fight! Max Holloway put on a show against José Aldo tonight, TKOing him in the third round, and kicking off the Blessed Era in the featherweight division.
Round one was a feeling out process for both guys in the first half, and there wasn’t much being thrown. Max started to engage and Aldo threw just about everything right back…except leg kicks, which was very strange. Holloway landed decent shots, but didn’t push the pace quite as much as he could have, was thinking too much, and got caught with a combination that could have finished him if he didn’t have such a chin of steel.
OHHHHH @JoseAldoJunior connects early and ROCKS Holloway! #UFC212 pic.twitter.com/fpuDhBN4bs
— UFC (@ufc) June 4, 2017
In the second round, Max started to get loose, found the reach he was looking for, and began unloading shots on the Featherweight King. It wasn’t one sided, however, and Jose looked really crisp circling out of certain shots and clipping Holloway pretty often. Towards the end of the second round, when Holloway was really getting comfortable, he started fucking with Aldo, and that is BALLSY.
Being ballsy paid off when Holloway rocked Aldo with that double 1-2 and ultimately finished him on the ground, even after José hung on for a while. There was stunned silence in Brazil, as it was the first time their hometown hero had ever lost in the country, and José tried to challenge the stoppage even though it was late if anything. In his post fight interview, the brand new 25 year old champion once again requested a UFC card in Hawaii, something he’s been pushing for since he started fighting, pretty much, and it seems like it’s the time for that to happen.
The landscape of the featherweight division is incredibly interesting now because with the exception of Frankie Edgar, Max Holloway has already cleared out the division. He tied Royce Gracie’s record for the fifth longest win streak in UFC history tonight, and his opponents on this run would all be his contenders. Edgar in New York or Hawaii is obviously what the next play should be, and if Max is to retain there possibly a second fight with Cub Swanson is the next option. Don’t be shocked if people start urging him to move up to Lightweight soon is what I’m saying.
What José Aldo does next is gonna be something to follow closely. He teased retirement earlier in the year (and handled the McGregor loss like a little bitch, even though I would too if I knew I was the Featherweight GOAT and getting KO’d in 13 seconds would be my legacy) and wanted to explore his options taking “super fights” or even going into boxing after this one. If he goes into boxing, it’ll just look like he’s not over the Conor loss and wants to chase him into a squared circle. If he takes a “super fight”, I’d hope it’s against Dominick Cruz, and if he retires, thanks for the memories.
Other notable things tonight:
-Cláudia Gadelha had a stellar performance against my girl Karolina Kowalkiewicz and disposed of her with a rear naked choke in the very first round. She looked great but I’m not sure what the next step is, because she just had the title shot against Joanna. Possibly a title eliminator with Rose Namajunas? Karolina vs Karate Hottie sounds good as well.
-Vitor Belfort won in a pretty boring decision against Nate Marquardt, and said afterwards that he’s got 5 more fights left. Not so sure about that five number, that seems ambitious as a 40 year old with a fuck ton of brain damage.
-Paulo Borrachinha is a real threat. If this guy continues to improve, he could develop into a viable contender in a short amount of time. His opponent, Oluwale Bamgbose, was made to cut his toenails right outside the octagon before the fight because they were too long, and that just has to be ridiculously embarrassing. Kinda felt for the dude.
-Fuckin’ Kazushi Sakuraba, the Gracie Killer, is entering the UFC Hall Of Fame in the Pioneer Wing. Long live PRIDE!
-I think Erick Silva kinda got fucked on an early stoppage in the first fight of the main card. Take a look for yourself:
He was clearly out when he got hit with that left and his head bounced off the canvas like a basketball, but he also recovered quickly and was intelligently defending himself.
-Brian Kelleher made his UFC debut by tapping out Iuri Alcantara with a guillotine choke in the first round:
…and followed it up with an ELECTRIC post fight interview where he taunted the Brazilian crowd like a WWE heel and yelled at Dana White. FEED HIM TO THE SHARKS, DANA!
-To cap it all off, Max Holloway was JACKED UP on Fox right after the fight:
Watch the full Q&A with @blessedmma recapping his epic win and claiming the undisputed featherweight crown. #UFC212 https://t.co/aCsFBMLqqj
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) June 4, 2017
I did an interview with Max Holloway last week which you can watch here, and he was super personable and cool with all of the “Octagon Bob” shit, so seeing him realize his dream tonight was that much sweeter. Really happy for the guy.