Max Holloway is going all in on his move to 155 pounds this weekend.
Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) is set to make the jump from the featherweight division for the third—and, this time, final—time in his career when he faces Dustin Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) in the main event at UFC 318 on Saturday night.
Back in 2019, during his reign as featherweight champion, Holloway made a brief foray into the lightweight division to challenge Poirier for the interim title. He came up short on the scorecards that night, but had far greater success at UFC 300 last year, when he returned to 155 pounds to face—and ultimately finish—Justin Gaethje.
After a loss to Ilia Topuria in a featherweight title fight last October, Holloway decided to permanently commit to the lightweight division. He even requested to be removed from the featherweight rankings, signaling a new chapter in his storied career.
"Oh yeah, for sure, I feel the difference," Holloway said at the UFC 318 media day on Wednesday. "For my last fight (at featherweight), you guys could see my cheekbones way more, I kind of looked like a skeleton, so I'm just glad here. You guys see the difference. People are talking about it about how big I am, how wide I am. It just feels good. I'm a Polynesian, a Hawaiian-Polynesian. I'm glad I get to show that Polynesian, big wrist, big ankles kind of thing."
Holloway’s decision to plant his flag in the lightweight division has allowed him to enjoy the fight preparation process much more.
"Just being able to focus on this camp and not even teeter tottering on the chance of, 'Oh, we might go back down,' we can do certain things, we can supplement in certain ways," Holloway said. "At the end of the day, these 155-pound camps are the best. I feel good. I feel great. I get to eat a lot more during camp. There were times at 145 where I was like, 'Oh, I want to eat' and then I jump on the scale, and I'm like 'Oh, sh*t. I can't do it,' so these 155 camps are way more enjoyable."
After Ilia Topuria became the first fighter to knock out Holloway at UFC 308 last year, the Spanish-Georgian star vacated the featherweight title to move up and challenge for lightweight gold. He went on to knock out Charles Oliveira and claim the vacant title at UFC 316. Now, Holloway believes that a win over Dustin Poirier this weekend could be enough to earn him another shot at “El Matador.”
"If I go out there and have a (UFC) 300 moment, I'm right there for a title shot," Holloway said. "And if it's not for a title shot, I'm right there for a No. 1 contender shot, whoever it may be. First things first. I see the media, I see people talking, I see people chirping."
