BREAKING: Max Holloway Returns To The UFC As Massive Fight Announced

Max Holloway is back. The UFC set the former champion to take on rising talent Calvin Kattar at UFC Fight Night main event on January 16. This will be the first fight since losing his rematch to Alexander Volkanovski in July at UFC 251.

The featherweight division is one of the if not the most talent stacked division in the UFC. The UFC’s conveyor belt of talent ensures that exciting matchups at 145-pounds are not far and few. The match between ‘Blessed’ and Calvin Kattar will be a striker’s delight between two of the best at 145 pounds. 

Read: Alexander Volkanovski shuts down talks of a trilogy fight with Max Holloway 

Can Max Holloway win back the title at 145 pounds?

The fight announcement comes on the same day ‘Blessed’ took to social media to share that he is now engaged with long-time girlfriend Alessa Quizon. 

Holloway won his title against perhaps the greatest featherweight ever in Jose Aldo at UFC 212. He then beat him in the rematch at UFC 218, both via stoppage.

Max has defended his featherweight title thrice against the likes of Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, and Frankie Edgar.

However, it was Alexander Volkanovski who dethroned Max when the two fought in December 2019 at UFC 245. The UFC gave ‘Blessed’ an immediate rematch at UFC 251 in July this year. The fight was extremely close and a lot of people including UFC President Dana White believed that Max won the fight.  

White was even open to the idea of pitting him against Alexander Volkanovski for the third time, as he thought the decision was extremely controversial. 

However, the talk of a rematch with Volkanovski did not get too far ahead. Instead, ‘Blessed’ will face number six ranked featherweight Calvin Kattar. 

Kattar is currently on a two-fight win streak. He knocked out Jeremy Stephens at UFC 249 in the second round. Most recently, he secured a unanimous decision win over Dan Ige in July. A win against a former champion in Max Holloway would move him to 3-0 and in prime position for a title shot. 

Read: WATCH: Crazy elbow knockout as Calvin Kattar knocks out Jeremy Stephens at UFC 249

For Max, on the other hand, a win against a rising star would be an excellent way to bounce back and prove he still has it in him to fight his way back to the title. What do you make of this match?