Max Holloway abandons 145 pounds to focus on lightweight
Max Holloway will no longer cut weight to 145 pounds, opting instead to remain at 155 pounds to avoid the physical toll of weight cutting. The former featherweight champion plans to focus on the lightweight division and aims for an octagon return in February or March.
Max Holloway finished his featherweight chapter by announcing he will not cut down to 145 pounds again. He holds the number one rank in the UFC featherweight standings, but he wants the promotion to remove his name from those rankings. He told MMA Junkie that staying at 155 pounds is a no-brainer because he gets to eat more. He also expressed frustration with the rankings, calling them ridiculous and saying they are all over the place. He wants to focus on lightweight where he holds the number five spot. He decided to stay at 155 pounds because he finds it much more fun to eat more food and avoid the grueling physical toll of cutting down to the featherweight limit again. I find his decision to walk away from the 145 pound division entirely after suffering a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria to be logical. He previously fought at lightweight in 2019 to challenge Poirier for the interim title but lost by decision. Holloway, who was born in Waianae and started training in kickboxing at age 15, remains focused on his future. He has competed in 15 championship bouts across 2 weight classes. He once said, "55 is much funner." He also said, "I’m not going back down to ’45. I’m over it." He also fought Alexander Volkanovski in a trilogy that included a decision loss at UFC 276. He is known for his iron chin and his ability to defend his title against Frankie Edgar.
Striking numbers and recent results
Holloway’s recent results show his striking volume remains high at 155 pounds. At UFC 329 on July 11, 2026, in Las Vegas, he defeated Conor McGregor via first round TKO. During that fight, he landed 12 of 19 significant strikes and 14 of 22 total strikes. His opponent landed 0 of 6 significant strikes. Before that, he lost a unanimous decision to Charles Oliveira at UFC 326 on March 7, 2026, where he landed 26 of 45 significant strikes. Oliveira had previously suffered a freak esophagus injury in their first meeting. This loss followed his win against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 where he secured a fifth round TKO. He landed a clean right hand that dropped Gaethje with only one second remaining in the final round. He also defeated Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 on July 19, 2025, via unanimous decision. He holds the BMF title after his win against Gaethje.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Professional Wins | 26 |
| Professional Losses | 7 |
| Knockout Victories | 26 |
| Significant Strike Accuracy | 4 per attempt |
His career total includes 26 knockout victories out of 45 professional bouts. He landed 445 significant strikes against Calvin Kattar in a fight at UFC on ABC 1. He reached a 13 fight win streak in the featherweight division. Holloway also beat Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night in 2023. He also defeated Jose Aldo twice to win the undisputed featherweight title.
Future timing and weight goals
Holloway aims for a return to the octagon in February or March of next year. He told his YouTube channel that he wants to hold his next speech at the beginning of the year. He mentioned having several injuries and personal plans with his wife that influence this timing. If the UFC provides a fight he cannot refuse, he said he would fight again this year. He previously fought at welterweight against Conor McGregor and expressed openness to fighting at middleweight at 185 pounds before his career ends. You should watch if his frame handles the move to 170 pounds well. He wants to achieve the status of a three time champion. He once told Jon Anik that he was willing to fight at middleweight eight or nine years ago. He also wants to put the BMF title, which was first handed out on Nov 2, 2019, on the line in a fight for the bantamweight belt. Will he ever chase a third title in a completely different weight class?
