UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway was preparing to defend the belt against former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 222 before being sidelined with an injury.
Due to the new weight cutting regulations being passed by the athletic commissions, a reluctant Holloway may have to move up to lightweight sooner rather than later.
“If they change a few things around, I’m probably not going to be able to make 145. If it happens, it happens. If UFC keeps making new rules, I most definitely might have to step up. There ain’t no denying it,” he said on The MMA Hour. “Everybody is talking about being champs and this and that. I’m a champion in my mindset. I’ve told you before, I’ve nothing but time on my side. Man, you might see me with two of these gold belts. Who knows? I’m trying to be a legend.”
Holloway has spent his entire professional MMA career at featherweight, which has lasted over seven years now.
The featherweight champion blames the UFC and USADA for the inevitable move up a weight class.
“It’s just UFC with all this USADA, (the policing of) the weight cuts, you’ve got to be a certain weight when you’re checking in and blah blah blah — all of that medical stuff, that’s what I mean. If they start adding more medical stuff I probably would (move up),” he said.
UFC 222 takes place on Saturday, March 3 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
