Max Holloway will get chance to re-claim the UFC featherweight championship.
The Hawaiian star lost the 145-pound gold to Alexander Volkanovski via unanimous decision back in December, suffering his first featherweight loss in more than six years.
UFC president Dana White confirmed at the UFC 249 post-fight press conference Saturday night in Jacksonville, Fla., that “Blessed” is next in line for the belt.
Volkanovski (21-1) had an incredible rise in the octagon, racking up an eight-fight winning streak in just three years. “The Great” entered the title picture with a knockout win over Chad Mendes in 2018, returning the following year with back-to-back victories against Jose Aldo and Holloway.
Holloway (21-5) won 14 in a row as a featherweight since 2013, including stoppage wins over Aldo (twice), Brian Ortega and Anthony Pettis. “Blessed” came up short in his attempt to capture the interim lightweight gold against Dustin Poirier in April 2019, and dropped back to his original weight class for a successful title defense against Frankie Edgar five months before his setback versus Volkanovski.
The UFC has yet to set a date for the featherweight rematch. It’s still unclear if Volkanovski would be able to enter the United States in the near future and defend his 145-pound throne due to travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, or if this match could be held as part of the UFC’s planned “Fight Island” series.
Source: mmafighting.com
