The UFC lightweight champ, Islam Makhachev, has been subjected to a lot of criticism. He has often been ridiculed for defending his title twice against a regular featherweight, instead of taking on someone his own size. Surprisingly, the UFC’s ‘BMF’ contender, Max Holloway, also jumped on the bandwagon when he appeared on Demetrious Johnson’s YouTube channel. During the conversation, ‘Blessed’ accused Makhachev of ducking a fight against his UFC 300 rival, Justin Gaethje.
With UFC 300 being such a massive event, authorities were on the lookout for the best names to put on the card. This led to several rumors about a Makhachev vs. Gaethje encounter. Interestingly, such a fight would have also been Makhachev’s first title defense fight against a regular lightweight. Yet, the plan fell through and fans resorted to bashing the Dagestani.
Holloway’s words showed that his analysis of the situation wasn’t much different from others who derided Makhachev. However, ‘Blessed’ opined that instead of waiting for the milestone event, Makhachev should’ve taken Gaethje on in February itself. He also blamed the lightweight king for dodging the fight with weak excuses.
“You [Makhachev] are only fighting in the times that you wanna fight. It’s not that you can’t get a fight. You’re not taking the fights that are offered [vs. Gaethje] because of certain things that are going on.”
The UFC 300 ‘BMF’ title fight between Holloway and Gaethje is a result of Makhachev’s refusal to fight ‘The Highlight’. Hence, even though Hollway has already trumped the 32-year-old by accepting the fight, it will be interesting to see if he can put the cherry on top with a victory at UFC 300.
Max Holloway wants a shot at Islam Makhachev’s UFC Lightweight gold after winning the ‘BMF’ title
Although UFC fights are pretty unpredictable, Max Holloway is confident about his chances of beating the current UFC ‘BMF’ champ, Justin Gaethje. On top of it, Holloway has also clarified his next target if he manages to claim the ‘BMF’ title at UFC 300.
The Hawaiian’s recent interview with ‘MMA Junkie’ reporter, Kevin Iole, revealed that he wants a shot at Makhachev’s lightweight championship after gaining the UFC ‘BMF’ strap at UFC 300. However, the quest isn’t going to be easy, especially if ‘The Highlight’ has something to say about it.
