If revenge in MMA had a face, it would look a lot like Max Holloway at UFC 318. In the main event against longtime rival Dustin Poirier, the reigning BMF champion didn’t just defend his title; he shattered ‘The Diamond’s dream of retiring with a win in front of a roaring Louisiana crowd at the Smoothie King Center. However, following the victory, Holloway has been linked to potential matchups with Charles Oliveira, Dan Hooker, and Nate Diaz, none of which truly move the needle toward his ultimate goal of earning another title shot.

After his win, Max Holloway publicly called for a rematch with Ilia Topuria, but the sentiment hasn’t gained much traction. Critics argue that while Holloway has impressive wins over big names, he still lacks the momentum required to build a strong case for a title shot, especially at lightweight. So, on the latest episode of Submission Radio, the hosts debated the next logical steps: Who’s next for Alexander Volkanovski, who scored a decision win over Diego Lopes in April? And should the next BMF title fight feature Nate Diaz and Max Holloway?

While discussing Max Holloway’s next move, Kacper Rosolowski didn’t hold back, saying, “There are better things we can do with Max Holloway than have him fight Nate Diaz.” Jed Meshew agreed and shared his first reaction to Holloway calling out Ilia Topuria for a rematch: “What? No, this is dumb.” He added, “I know people really want a Max Holloway lightweight title run to be a thing, but it’s not a thing, and we should not believe it.” But that wasn’t all.

Pointing to the ‘Blessed’s TKO loss in October 2024, after only three rounds, Meshew noted, “Ilia gassed him up like that, and he is a champ now.” If Holloway dares to step up again, Meshew warned, “It would go worse for him straight up. Like, it would not go as well as the first one went for Max.” And let’s not forget, Ilia Topuria needed just 2 minutes and 27 seconds to dismantle Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 on July 28. That dominant performance only adds to the argument that a rematch with Max Holloway, currently ranked No. 3 at lightweight, would likely be a one-sided affair in favor of ‘El Matador.’

Despite all this, Jed acknowledged Max Holloway’s strange career arc. “Max had such a unique career because we should all be like, ‘Yes, Max is now in fun-fight territory and he is holding the BMF belt, which is kind of perfect,’” he said. “But then you look and go, ‘Actually, he’s still only 33 years old. Maybe he’s got a run in him.’” Still, Meshew was quick to shut that idea down: “No, he hasn’t had a real run in seven years because Volk just had his number or whatever.”

Offering a reality check, Meshew then made it clear: “Max is not a lightweight. Max is a BMF champion.” He added that many fans are still stuck on Holloway’s recent wins, knocking out Justin Gaethje and beating Dustin Poirier, and assume he’s a top-five lightweight. “But we could all just ignore that and be like he’s got his own belt. He’s doing his own thing.”

In the end, Meshew suggested, “Let’s do fun things with other fighters who aren’t in the traditional flow of the divisional title chase. Nate’s kind of perfect for that. It’s a little weird, and all BMF fights should be a little weird too. So I think it would be perfect. And once you have that, then you can do Nate-Conor.” As for who Max Holloway will fight next, no one knows for sure, but one thing’s clear: that fight might take some time to materialize. Why, you ask?

Max Holloway could sit out till next year

“Talk about him being as strong as a diamond, my right hand still hurts!” Max Holloway said on his YouTube channel Friday, still reeling from his war with Dustin Poirier at UFC 318. “I see a lot of people talking about who’s next, who’s this, there’s a lot of fun fights for me at 155 pounds. There’s [Charles] Oliveira, and if Justin [Gaethje] gets the next title shot, that would be cool,” he added. “If I get the next title shot, that’d be sick, but if you have hopes of me fighting before the end of the year, [that’s] probably not going to happen.”

Addressing his physical setback, Max Holloway revealed, “I’ll see a specialist sometime this week. I already met with my doctor, and now I’ve got to go meet the specialist, but things are not looking too up for me, [in terms of] fighting one more time this year.” The lingering injury has cast doubt on his immediate future, effectively delaying any potential return until 2026. And yet, the Oahu native believes it’s unfair for some fans and pundits to say he’s not part of the title conversation anymore, especially after his stunning Knockout of the Year win over Gaethje at UFC 300.

“What’s next? I couldn’t tell you,” the 33-year-old Hawaiian admitted. “Now this stupid injury [has] pushed me back a little bit, so we don’t know what’s going to happen.” Anyway, with Max Holloway potentially out until the start of next year, the UFC has a rare window to evaluate the featherweight landscape, and more specifically, Ilia Topuria’s next move. But the bigger question is: who should Max Holloway fight next?