From scalper to headline act, Max Holloway can’t wait for UFC Fight Night in Singapore
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Max Holloway will return to headline UFC’s Fight Night at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Aug 26.
PHOTO: UFC
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SINGAPORE – Former featherweight champion Max Holloway is one of the most recognised scrappers in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
But in 2014, he was a scalper – a fresh-faced 22-year-old who cashed in on tickets to his UFC debut in Singapore to buy himself a Gucci belt.
Reflecting on his journey, the mixed martial arts fighter said the Republic holds a special place in his heart as he returns to headline UFC’s Fight Night
Nicknamed “Blessed”, he will take on “The Korean Zombie” Jung Chan-sung in the main bout.
In a virtual interview on Tuesday, the 31-year-old American said: “Singapore means a lot to me. That’s where I started my win streak to get to the title. I can’t wait to come back.
“I’ll get to enjoy a little bit more than when I was there earlier in my career, when I had no money and stuff. So now that I have a little bit more money, I can enjoy more out there.
“We used to get free tickets from UFC and I remember selling it, and I bought my first Gucci belt from that money.
“I still have that Gucci belt and I might actually bring it back there to the motherland I bought it from.”
It was also here that Holloway beat Will Chope to begin his impressive 13-bout winning streak, during which he claimed the interim featherweight belt and the championship.
His streak ended in April 2019 when he lost to Dustin Poirier via a unanimous decision.
Since beating his compatriot Chope in Singapore almost a decade ago, Holloway has established himself as one of the UFC’s top stars.
Similarly, the UFC, with its sixth visit in August, has also grown in stature here. In 2014, a sell-out crowd of 5,200 fans watched Holloway and UFC’s Singapore debut at the Fight Night event at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
The June 2022 event, UFC 275: Teixeira v Prochazka made history as the first UFC pay-per-view event in South-east Asia. It attracted 10,787 spectators, with gate receipts of US$1,546,732 (S$2,085,590) – a “sporting event gate record” at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
While he is looking forward to the contest with Jung in August, Holloway, who is the UFC’s second-ranked featherweight fighter, wants to reclaim the championship and is eyeing a special addition – the “BMF” belt.
Created by the UFC, the BMF championship belt is reportedly used to determine who the “baddest” and toughest fighter is.
If successful, he will join the likes of Justin Gaethje who, on July 29, beat Poirier
Holloway said: “I want to get another belt. People keep attaching my name with the BMF belt. I want to get a bunch of titles, make more money, retire young, retire happy and never work another day in my life. That’s the goal.”
He also wants a fourth contest against 34-year-old Australian fighter and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
In their three-fight series, “The Great” Volkanovski came out on top, with two unanimous decisions sandwiching a split decision.
He said: “I want to fight Volk again. At the end of the day, the story is not done. We have a ranking for a reason. I’m out here doing my job.
“I’m fighting whoever you guys want me to fight to be back in his (Volkanovski) face. That’s the guy I want to fight.”
