Athletes
Conflicted Holloway Returns to Singapore, Aiming to Become Undeniable
With A Heavy Heart, The Hawaiian Featherweight Standout Battles ‘The Korean Zombie’ Where His Career-Changing Winning Streak Began A Decade Ago
The stress and strain of what’s happening on Maui was evident on Max Holloway’s face, noticeable in his voice and his demeanor as we spoke prior to his leaving for Singapore, where he faces off with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung this weekend.
Normally, the energy from the former featherweight champion radiates through the screen, every comment marked with a smile or a chuckle; years of speaking together turning each interview into two old friends catching up, discussing where their lives have taken them more than anything else.
But this time, the 31-year-old Hawaiian is shouldering a great deal of anguish, pushing forward with a heavy heart after wild fires devastated the historic coastal town of Lahaina and various other parts of the island.
“It’s just… it’s terrible in every sense, man,” said Holloway, long pauses marking the start of every sentence as he tried to find the words to describe the horrible situation facing his fellow Hawaiians. “You hear the death toll and the numbers of missing, and you already know that number is going to go up, so it’s a very tough subject and topic.
Max Holloway Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs The Korean Zombie
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Max Holloway Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs The Korean Zombie
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“For the families affected, hold your ground. I know it looks like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, but there is. You see the community, you see the people, people getting behind these people, and it’s amazing.
“Stay strong; we’re gonna get through this together,” he added. “The Hawaiian fighting spirit is there in every sense of the word.”
Listening to him speak, watching him shift around in his chair as he discussed the destruction that swept through Lahaina and the unfathomable challenges facing those communities going forward, it was clear that Holloway was conflicted about jumping on a plane to go and fight.
“It doesn’t sit right with me,” he said when I asked him about it. “It’s a tough thing, and I know I gotta go out there, I gotta go do stuff — and people are looking forward to this, and maybe they wanna get their minds off of it, but I’m gonna use it as another way to shed light on some of these families because if someone else was in my shoes and was able to help on a platform this big, I would hope they would use it the right way.
“The main focus is making sure the Lahaina people know that this is not the end of the road. Don’t give up on this fight. We’re behind you and we’re going to be behind you every step of the way to see their ancestral homes stay with them.
“We’re here, we’re united, and we are strong.”
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Saturday isn’t the first time Holloway will compete in Singapore, as the Southeast Asian maritime city-state holds a special place in his heart and his career history.
The run of success that ultimately carried the talented Hawaiian first to the interim title and then back-to-back wins over Jose Aldo that cemented his standing as the best featherweight on the planet began in Singapore with a win over Will Chope on the first fight card of 2014.
RELATED: Holloway Talks Maui Fires
Holloway entered on a two-fight losing streak, four months removed from his clash with Conor McGregor in Boston, and sporting a 3-3 mark inside the Octagon. His back was against the wall, his place on the roster was likely on the line, and the young Hawaiian fighter rose to the occasion, kicking off an incredible extended run of success that produced 13 consecutive victories and a 14-2 record over the next six years.
Max Holloway | Greatest Hits
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Max Holloway | Greatest Hits
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“It wasn’t just another fight,” he said, reflecting on his first trip to Singapore. “I was down two fights. You’re fighting a new guy making his debut, and it doesn’t look good if you lose, so, at the end of the day, I knew I had to do something — not only win, but put a mark on it, and that’s what I did. That started everything back in 2014.
“We’re here now, years later — I’m only 31, turn 32 at the end of the year,” he added, laughing. “People keep forgetting and I gotta keep reminding people. I’m a veteran in a lot of you guys’ eyes because I’ve been here for a minute, but another long run is on my mind.”
Just as there was a heaviness to his voice and visage as he spoke about the devastation at home in Hawaii, there is an edge to Holloway as he addresses his current place in the division and the way fans and media have framed his most recent outings.
Three consecutive losses to reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski have left the ex-titleholder in a precarious position, especially given that the third meeting was the most convincing of the series.
Rarely do fighters get a third crack at someone that has already bested them twice, and seldom does a fighter that is down 0-3 in a particular matchup get another shot, even if the first two were ultra-competitive, and that reality left many questioning if Holloway’s best days were behind him heading into his mid-April clash with Arnold Allen in Kansas City.
Many pundits picked against “Blessed,” but the divisional stalwart did what he had done in his previous 16 featherweight contests against someone not holding the last name Volkanovski, boxing up Allen en route to a unanimous decision victory that served to remind people that he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
“I knew what I was capable of. My team knew what I was capable of. That Arnold fight — that ‘Still Here’ fight — was just a reminder,” offered Holloway, who carries a 24-7 mark into Saturday’s event. “Everyone was telling me that Arnold is the one that is going to crack my chin, and this is it, ‘Max shouldn’t be fighting,’ and blah blah blah.
“I went out there and did my thing.”
And he full intends to do the same this weekend.
“We go out there, fight ‘The Korean Zombie,’ put another stamp on it, and make myself undeniable,” he added. “The last one was to remind everybody that we’re still here, and this motivation is undeniable. Nothing but love for ‘The Korean Zombie,’ who was another guy I used to watch growing up, just like Aldo.
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“I thought we were gonna fight way earlier, but things didn’t pan out — they never do,” Holloway said, chasing his quip with a chortle. “But Mother Time found a way, we’re here now, and what better place to be. I can’t wait. He’s a legend in every sense, and I get to fight him in Asia. I’m excited.”
That word “undeniable” is one he goes back to multiple times — the mantra, the driving principle of the last fight, this fights, and however many more fights need to come in order for Holloway to get back to another championship opportunity, whether that’s against Volkanovski or someone else.
As he surveys the division and the state of the rankings, Holloway isn’t sure how the math adds up for Ilia Topuria to theoretically be next in line for a shot at the title, working backwards through his results to point out that the man he just beat, Josh Emmett, was submitted earlier in the year by Yair Rodriguez, who was dispatched with ease by Volkanovski in July at UFC 290.
While MMA math is more theoretical, than precise, it’s difficult to argue with Holloway’s line of thinking, especially considering what he needed to do in order to earn a third bout with the Australian champion, even after their second encounter became one of the more debated split decision verdicts in recent memory.
“I know I have some history with the champ, but it’s not like I’m holding this No. 2 in the world or whatever it is — it’s not like I’m holding this position and not fighting, for years,” he said, a little frustration tinging his words. “I could see how people would be mad if I were sitting around and crying for a title shot — ‘I’m owed this! I’m owed that!’ — but I’m fighting contenders, I’m fighting tough guys.
Max Holloway On Maui Fires
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Max Holloway On Maui Fires
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“Before I got to fight the champ for a third time, I had to fight top contenders that you guys thought were gonna take me out. I got it, things didn’t go my way, I fought another contender because I want to be the best.
“I could start fighting down the line and being like ‘Let me fight the 10 and below guys, and let the champ fight 1-10,’ but no — this is the guy I’ve gotta fight to get the title shot, so this is what I gotta do.”
Just as he put a stamp on his first victory in Singapore a decade ago, that is the plan for this weekend’s clash with Jung, as well, before returning home and helping the people of Lahaina however he can.
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“My goal is to go out here and be undeniable — put a stamp on it, mail it in, and let everybody know,” he said. “I can’t wait to be out there.
“Even with all the chaos going on right now, let Hawaii be at ease for however long it might be, let them forget a little bit, and then come home, figure out a way we can help out a little bit and give back to the people.”
If you would like to help the people of Lahaina affected by this terrible disaster, please consider donating through @lahaina_ohana_venmo on Instagram or giving to the Maui Food Bank.
UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs The Korean Zombie took place live from Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore on August 26, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!