In an exciting announcement, UFC CEO Dana White recently unveiled the card for Noche UFC at ‘The Sphere’ but surprisingly Max Holloway’s name wasn’t on the list! After his dominant performance at UFC 300 for the BMF title against Justin Gaethje, Holloway had made it clear that Ilia Topuria, the current featherweight champion, was in his crosshairs for his next foray into the Octagon.

But with the announcement of the Noche UFC card, Holloway recently made an honest confession about his feelings about being left out of the highly anticipated event. In a post shared on Instagram by Championship Rounds, Holloway stated, “This is how I feel about not being on The Sphere card… this is how I feel right here… sh*t sucks bro… feel damaged bro… should have been us brother… It’s Mexican Independence Day guys, you guys can’t have a Spaniard, who the Mexicans got the independence back from to headline the card on Mexican Independence Day bro..”

There were also rumors that Topuria and Holloway would be clashing at The Sphere which had caused a lot of excitement amongst the MMA fandom. Both men have been raring to go at each other, with barbs being thrown relentlessly between the pair. In a recent interview, Topuria had claimed that it was Holloway who was responsible for the delay in the matchmaking for their fight as he stated, “It’s not because of me, they called me to say that Max Holloway was having family issues, that he was having trouble cutting weight, and that he wanted to fight in a higher weight class. Honestly, I don’t know. I have no idea.”

But the reaction by Holloway to not being on the ‘Noche UFC’ card has also drawn a flurry of responses from the fans who have indicated that they aren’t happy with ‘Blessed’s absence from the event, but still have faith in Dana White to step in and make some changes. While some weren’t exactly on board with Holloway’s assertion about a “Spaniard” headlining an event held in honor of Mexican Independence Day. Here’s a look at what the fandom had to say!

Fans claim that “Uncle Dana” can still save the day for Max Holloway’s chance to fight at ‘The Sphere’

Fans pointed out that Merab Dvalishvili, who is taking on Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight title at ‘The Sphere’ is considered an “honorary Mexican” by the fandom. Before his fight against Henry Cejudo at UFC 298, Dvalishvili had made waves when he showed up to the pre-fight press conference draped in a Mexican flag and claimed that his win over ‘Triple C’ would be dedicated to Mexico and its people!

 “Merab is an honorary Mexican what are you talking about”

Some brought up the fact that Ilia Topuria isn’t a Spaniard as he was born to Georgian parents and only moved to the country when he was 15 years old

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“Ilia isn’t even Spanish he has 0% Spanish blood in him”

The issues raised by Holloway about the card were also addressed by one fan who claimed that it was the promotion and Dana White’s responsibility to set up two separate events, one at ‘The Sphere’ and another for Mexican Independence Day

“Honestly if we’re being real here. This is on the UFC. They should’ve made the Sphere card and the Mexican Independence Day card as two different events”

But the UFC CEO does have the power to give the fans what they want as one member of the community pointed out that there is still a possibility that the fight can still take place. But, with the main card for the event already being confirmed, it’s highly unlikely that a change will be made, but only time will tell if “Uncle Dana” gives in to the fan demands!

“Uncle Dana can still make it happen”

Another fan claimed that the Mexican community would be more appreciative of the highly anticipated matchup being set up at ‘Noche UFC’ as a headliner and wouldn’t be offended by a Hawaiian and a Spaniard being the marquee bout for the night.

“Pretty sure the Mexicans wouldn’t mind if Illia and max would’ve headlined”

In conclusion, the current situation has left Max Holloway and the MMA fandom in a state of anticipation. Will the UFC management address his concerns and find a way to get him back in the octagon soon? Or will Holloway have to wait even longer for his next fight? The MMA community is eagerly waiting for Dana White’s next move. Do you think the UFC should have gone ahead and set up the Topuria vs Holloway clash for ‘Noche UFC’? Why or Why not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!