Getty Joe Rogan
Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway proved emphatically on Saturday that he isn’t going anywhere, dominating No. 6 ranked featherweight Calvin Kattar during the main event of UFC Fight Island 7.
UFC color commentator Dan Hardy said it best during the broadcast, it was “a complete dismantling of one of the top fighters in the world.” Holloway showed a diverse arsenal of strikes, landing to the body and head with vicious punches, kicks and elbows, en route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory. The judges scored the bout 50–43, 50–43 and 50–42.
A viral moment occurred during the fifth round when Holloway turned his head away from Kattar, yelling, “I’m the best boxer in UFC, baby!” A lot was made about Kattar’s boxing going into the bout, with many predicting that he would have the advantage with the hands. Holloway proved that wasn’t the case and you can watch the exchange below:
I’M THE BEST BOXER IN THE UFC!!!! #UFCFightIsland7
As impressive as Holloway looked, Kattar proved he is as durable as they come and showed he has power in his both his hands. The electric fight earned “Fight of the Night” honors for Holloway and Kattar.
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Holloway Is Prepared to Step In & Fight Either Conor McGregor or Dustin Poirier Next Saturday
Holloway is just getting started on Fight Island, revealing that he wants to step in to fight either Conor McGregor or Dustin Poirier should they pull out of their UFC 257 main event bout. The two top lightweights will meet on January 23 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
“All I gotta say is [there’s] a big, big fight next week, Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor,” Holloway said in his post-fight interview with UFC’s Jon Anik. “But guess what, your boy is staying all the way through the week. If anything happens… Dana [White] knows my number. He can hit me up.”
It’s important to note that in the co-main event of UFC 257, Dan Hooker will take on Michael Chandler and if either McGregor or Poirier pulls out, the UFC will slot in one of those two lightweights.
If Holloway did find himself fighting either Poirier or McGregor next weekend, he will have the opportunity to not only earn another massive win, he’ll have a chance to avenge a loss. Holloway was defeated by McGregor in 2013 and Poirier has beaten “Blessed” twice, first in 2012 and then in 2019.
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UFC’s Joe Rogan & Others Shared Their Reactions to Holloway vs. Kattar
GettyMax Holloway speaks to Joe Rogan following his featherweight bout against Brian Ortega during the UFC 231 event at Scotiabank Arena on December 8, 2018 in Toronto, Canada.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan had a big reaction to Holloway’s performance and Kattar’s toughness after the bout. Although he wasn’t there in person, Rogan, who only commentates UFC pay-per-view events in the United States, watched the fight live and said that Blessed had reached a “new level” and Kattar was one of the toughest people in the world.
Rogan wrote:
Legit superhuman performance by [Holloway]. I am truly blown away. He was already one of the best fighters in the sport and he reached a completely new level tonight. The combinations, the angles, the volume, the octagon IQ… it was completely off the charts. So interesting that he didn’t even spar for this camp. That was about as impressive a performance as I’ve ever seen, and hats off to @calvinkattar for being one of the toughest motherf*****s alive and a complete savage. Very few men could have weathered that barrage like he did.
See the reactions of the likes of UFC stars Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz and others.
It’s some good fights today 💯👊🏼
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