Max Holloway has earned another shot at Ilia Topuria, according to the reigning featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski.
The Hawaiian legend, a former 145-pound champion in his own right, gained a measure of revenge on Dustin Poirier in this past weekend’s UFC 318 main event, defeating the retiring fighter by decision to end their three-fight series at 1-2.
The result also put Holloway back into the win column after he suffered the first knockout loss of his career back in October, when he was felled by then-featherweight champion Topuria in what was his fourth successive loss in a 145-pound title fight.
But with Holloway now having earned impressive wins over Poirier and Justin Gaethje in his last two outings at lightweight Volkanovski, who holds a trio of wins over Holloway at 145, says that his former foe has stated his case for consideration for a title rematch with Topuria – this time at 155.
“I’m gonna give Max a moment right now to just say how incredible that was,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel of his win over Poirier.
“It is not easy to come back from losses. He’s showed, time and time again, from big losses… not just little losses, world title losses, off tears. Even that last one, our third fight, to win the way I did, you’re probably thinking, ‘Am I done?’
“You’re going to start having those negative thoughts. For him to bounce back like he did and go on another tear, and then have his moment with Justin Gaethje, already incredible. Then, his first KO loss.
“He’s been back from big losses before, but never KO’d. How’s he going to be in a ‘BMF’ fight coming off a KO loss?
“That’s going to mentally get you. Max, I don’t think it did. Even when he did get dropped, he still came back to what he wanted to do. Incredible. Honestly incredible fight from Max to come back like that. Touché.”
A rematch with Topuria, especially after such a conclusive outcome last time around, could be viewed as a hard sell for UFC matchmakers, but Volk says that it deserves consideration given his body of work.
“I know Max just fought him, but now it’s at lightweight where they both sort of want to be,” Volkanovski said. “You’ve got to think of who Max beat at lightweight. You’ve gotta go off the lightweight fights. Max beat Justin Gaethje, who I think is the No. 1 contender, and Poirier, who just fought for the title.
“So, he literally beat the two top guys, the two main guys that you usually need to beat to get the title shot. That’s his only fights in lightweight — his streak right now — and it’s against the two top guys. You’d say he’s next. You would think so.”
