UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway looks set to defend his title against #1 UFC featherweight Brian Ortega this summer.
Brian Ortega, who now holds an impressive record of 14-0 in the UFC, stunned the mixed martial arts world when he defeated UFC veteran Frankie Edgar via TKO in the first round at UFC 222. Many UFC fans believed that this matchup for Brian Ortega would be too much, too soon, but he prevailed in astonishing fashion and he is now next in line to face the UFC featherweight champion, Max Holloway.
Following that decisive victory, MMANews’ own Adam Martin penned an editorial stating, Brian Ortega Has Potential To Be Greatest Featherweight Of All Time.
Max Holloway is known and loved for his tenacity and never give up attitude, and in an interview with MMAjunkie.com he unsurprisingly embraces the challenge that Brian Ortega poses. An undefeated challenger, who is dangerous in every position and one who continues to grow as a fighter as he moves forward in his MMA budding career.
“My interest in fighting him: I’m very intrigued,” Holloway told MMAjunkie. “I can’t wait to fight. I love fighting and I love competition. You want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. The best is ‘Blessed,’ and right now he’s saying and people are saying he’s the one. I can’t wait. We’ll find out.”
Huge excitement now surrounds this upcoming matchup, with many experts believing that this is the biggest featherweight bout since José Aldo vs Conor McGregor at UFC 194 back in 2015. After Ortega’s impressive performance against Frankie Edgar, Max Holloway agrees with this. He believes that much of this anticipation is down to many people believing that Ortega is a huge threat to his championship reign.
“I think this fight is huge,” Holloway said. “He’s got a lot of fans. It’s exciting. I think it’s a huge fight. I think people are talking more about this one than the Frankie one. It’s cool; this is finally the first fight that I didn’t watch growing up. Everyone is telling me he’s the future, but I’m right here. I’m the present.”
“Keep doubting. It’s only more hype for me when I go out there and do my thing.”
With Brian Ortega possessing the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu game in the 145lb division, Max Holloway will have his hands full, but Ortega proved in his last victory that his stand-up game is improving at a swift rate. What we do know is that Max Holloway will come prepared and ready to go to war.
Who do you think will win – Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega?
