Newly crowned UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway holds no ill-will towards the man he took his title from. Days after devastating Jose Aldo with a third round TKO at UFC 212 this past weekend, Holloway took to his Instagram account to share a touching tribute to the former champ.
“Losing is part of this fight game,” Holloway wrote. “Saturday night takes nothing away from his legacy. This is a guy who would show up to his gym sometimes without eating in the last day because he was so damn poor. This is a guy who built the 45 division and became king. This is a guy who found motivation to keep earning what he already had. He defended his throne. For a decade. For honor. For his team. For his countrymen. This is a guy who didn’t start at pole position in this world and look at what he achieved. Brazil needs to celebrate that man. Acai with powered milk and cashews for everyone. He’s a GOAT, and his story will always be an inspiration to me and people of Hawaii. Obrigado, Ze @josealdojunioroficial Obrigado.”
The post comes after Holloway was greeted with a homecoming similar to when an NFL team returns home after winning a Super Bowl. Hawaiian fans gathered at the airport and lined the streets of Waianae to welcome Holloway home after his big win.
At only 25 years old, Holloway has shown that he has the humility and respect for those who paved the way for him. That should make him a fan favorite for years to come.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: A lot of shade has been thrown at Aldo in the buildup to the Holloway fight, mainly due to his 13-second loss to Conor McGregor and everything that comes with being in opposition to McGregor’s fan base. There has been a lot of discussion regarding Aldo’s legacy in light of that loss, and now this one, and I think that you still have to consider Aldo the greatest featherweight of all time based on his tenure as a champion and the opponents he beat. I don’t buy into what Joe Rogan said recently about Conor McGregor being the greatest featherweight ever simply because the body of work is not there. Yes, Aldo has these two losses and he pulled out of fights more than many would like, but he nearly crippled Urijah Faber with leg kicks, beat Frankie Edgar twice, and made short work of Cub Swanson, who is currently lobbying for a fight with Holloway. So until Holloway or someone else has an extended run at featherweight, Aldo has to be considered the best.
WEDNESDAY NOTEBOOK ITEMS…
-Bellator sent a note to MMATorch tonight that the press conference tomorrow won’t feature Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva, or Scott Coker as long-scheduled. Excerpt: “Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, Bellator has decided to not move forward with a planned press conference on Thursday, June 8 in Los Angeles with Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva and Scott Coker. However, media will still have the opportunity to speak to Bellator NYC competitors Lorenz Larkin and Aaron Pico – who are both based in the LA area. Larkin will challenge current Bellator welterweight champ Douglas Lima for the title on June 24, while Pico makes his pro debut against Zach Freeman and is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in all of MMA.”
-T.J. Dillashaw continues to advocate for a fight with Demetrious Johnson. “(Johnson) wants pay-per-view, which he would get if he fights me,” he told MMA Junkie. “He wants to be promoted, which he would get if he fights me. We both want the same thing – we both want to be the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world as well as make a lot of money and be promoted. To fix all those problems, the only thing he has to do is fight me.”
-The prelims for UFC 212 last Saturday averaged 732,000 viewers on FS1. It was the second lowest pay-per-view prelim number of the year, only besting the UFC 210 prelims that averaged 723,000 viewers.
-Fabricio Werdum doesn’t think UFC 213 opponent Alistair Overeem can take a punch. “We know Overeem doesn’t have that good of a chin now,” Werdum told Combate (via Bloody Elbow). “So I’ll focus on it. Sometimes you’ll throw a kick or a punch and wherever it lands, that’s it. So I’ll really focus on his chin, now. I know he’ll go down.”
-Shogun Rua told Combate that he is hoping for a rematch with Ovince Saint Preux when UFC returns to Japan in September. (SOURCE)
-UFC fans in Canada hoping for the promotion to adopt a major show model similar to WWE Network will have to wait as UFC announced a new “multi-year extension” with Premium Sports for pay-per-view distribution in all Canadian provinces, excluding Quebec. (SOURCE)
-Alan Jouban has been forced to pull out of his UFC 213 bout with Brian Camozzi. No replacement opponent has been named.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ROUNDUP
-Jason Knight steps in for an injured Korean Zombie to fight Ricardo Lamas at UFC 214 on July 29 from Anaheim, Calif.
-Hector Lombard vs. Anthony Smith at UFC’s August 19 event. The show does not have a confirmed location but is expected to take place from Seattle, Wash. on pay-per-view.
NOW CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S UPDATE: TUESDAY NEWS DIGEST 6/6: T.J. Dillashaw responds to Demetrious Johnson’s length statement (w/Hiscoe’s Analysis)
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