Just How Good Can Max Holloway Be?

In a high-profile bout between surging featherweight contenders, an injury to Charles Oliveira brought an unceremonious end to the UFC Fight Night 74 headliner against Max Holloway on Monday, August 24 (August 23 in US) at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Also, Neil Magny looks to get back to his winning ways against Erick Silva in the co-main event and Canadian Patrick Cote takes on Josh Burkman in his home country. Oliveira took his first shot about a minute into the round, and Holloway defended with an underhook and sprawl.

Earlier today, Oliveira told MMAFighting.com that he injured his neck in training before the fight but felt fit to compete: “But when I fell against the cage, everything went numb”.

For every ad, there is an “X” button. If you can’t fight, you can’t pay your bills. The Holloways closed on the house three weeks before the fight with Oliveira, and moved in just one week later, so it has been a little bit hectic on the family.

If this is the only way you can view UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Oliveira, do not be deterred and the live streaming will work once the ads disappear.

Oliveira, unsurprisingly, was not in attendance for the post-fight press conference.

While Holloway’s third-round finish of Swanson was definitely the most notable win of his career thus far, he’s more well-known for his performance against interim featherweight champ Conor McGregor in a losing effort. UFC could have called me up for the last one (at UFC 189), and I would have taken it. But they didn’t, they chose Chad (Mendes) instead, and I’d love to fight him.

UFC observers conjectured over the source of the injury at the time, with the neck, shoulder and throat all suspected to be possible ailments.

Max Holloway’s first main event was bittersweet.

“Now that I don’t have a fight I can say how I feel”. This fight was going to catapult the victor in the title conversation.

Approximately three years ago the UFC made it a mission to inform politicians in Victoria that MMA fighting in a boxing ring was unsafe for the athletes in the UFC and, eventually, politicians started to clue in to the reality of the situation. When the UFC wants a big fight again, I’m here, I’m ready: Holloway vs. McGregor 2. Max Holloway throws an overhand right at Will Chope during their featherweight fight.