Max Holloway is handling the loss of his championship as best a boxer can.
Holloway challenged Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 276 event in Las Vegas, and looked to win it back following losing a pair of competitive decisions in their previous meetings. The third, and probably final, battle between two of the best 145-pounders in the history of the sport was all Volkanovski from the opening seconds, as the champion retained the title from him with a unanimous sweep of the scorecards.
Following the loss, “Blessed” was transported to the hospital and did not speak to reporters at T-Mobile Arena. On Sunday, Holloway took to social media to give his first public thoughts on the loss, as well as praise Volkanovski.
“I’m still up 2-0 in falls for the trilogy. You’ll probably need a room to figure this out,” Holloway joked. “Just playing. Congratulations to my brother Alexander Volkanovski. Go get that light strap. You earned the shot. You are number 1 pound for pound right now.
“To all the fans, don’t cry for me, Argentina. This is part of life. We have to rebuild and we will. Love you!”
It’s unclear what’s next for Holloway, whether he wants to stay at featherweight or jump up to lightweight. There are certainly plenty of exciting options for 30-year-olds.
The same can be said for Volkanovski, who improved to 12-0 inside the Octagon, which now includes three wins over Holloway and a victory over former champion Jose Aldo. “The Great” would love the chance to jump up to lightweight for a shot at becoming a two-division champion.
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