The self-proclaimed best boxer in the UFC returns Saturday in Hawaii’s Max Holloway as he faces off against a returning Yair Rodriguez of Mexico in the main event of UFC Fight Night live from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Holloway, who is the former long-reigning featherweight champion, is currently the #1 ranked contender in the featherweight division. He faces Rodriguez who is currently the #3 ranked featherweight contender. Rodriguez holds the #3 featherweight ranking despite the fact that he hasn’t fought in over two years, with his last fight being a decision win in a rematch against Jeremy Stephens on October 18, 2019.
Meanwhile, Holloway has fought three times since Rodriguez last fought. Two of those fights were against Alexander Volkanovski, who Holloway lost his featherweight belt to in December 2019 and subsequently lost in the rematch for the belt in July 2020. Both of Volkanovski’s wins over Holloway were met with major controversy, especially the rematch. The first meeting turned out as a unanimous decision win for Volkanovski, while the rematch was a split decision which was met with major skepticism.
“I’m the best boxer in the ufc baby!”
Holloway has never been one to complain, however. He made a return with one of the most brutal beatings in UFC history when he beat Calvin Kattar in January 2021. In fact Holloway looked so incredible in the Kattar fight that he famously shouted “I’M THE BEST BOXER IN THE UFC BABY!” while slipping multiple punches from Kattar without even looking. If you’ve never seen the incredible footage, PLEASE take a look as it’s truly legendary:
While Rodriguez is a very dangerous and exciting striker, it’s hard to imagine how he will do against someone as seemingly unstoppable (outside of Volkanovski) as Holloway, especially when coming off of a two year absence. However if you’ve never seen Rodriguez fight, you’re in for a treat. He had the consensus knockout of the year in 2018 when he had a stunning knockout in the final seconds of the fight against Chan Sung Jung aka “The Korean Zombie”.
When this fight was first announced, many fans reacted with absolute shock. Many said that after his January performance, Holloway shouldn’t have to fight anyone else to earn his trilogy fight with Volkanovski, who successfully defended his belt against a different opponent in Brian Ortega in September. However Holloway wanted to stay active, which led to him taking this fight against Rodriguez.
If Holloway were to win, it is almost guaranteed that we will see the trilogy bout between Holloway and Volkanovski for the featherweight title again. If Rodriguez were to win, however unlikely that may be, he would likely be the next title challenge for Volkanovski given the way the rankings stand right now. Currently, Holloway is a -820 favorite according to FanDuel, with Rodriguez standing as a +570 underdog. Regardless, this should be a VERY fun striking contest given both fighters’ styles and it is one to not miss!
UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodriguez is available on ESPN+ with a special start time of 3 pm CST.
