Holloway says Topuria's win streak isn't as special as it seems

The famous UFC fighter, the man who for years was considered one of the most dangerous strikers in the featherweight division, has an interesting opinion about the rise of the fighter who currently dominates the lightweight division. Max Holloway, now an experienced 32-year-old, believes that too much attention is given to Ilija Topuria's victories, without considering the wider context.

"Topuria's streak is not that special, you have to look at the wider context. He does what he needs to and that's it," said Holloway, and his sentence clearly reflects the doubt about the extent of the champion's current dominance.

Preparations for Poirier and a possible rivalry

Following his loss to the 27-year-old Topuria at UFC 308, Holloway returns to the Octagon on July 19 to defend his BMF belt against Dustin Poirier. Although one would have expected that defeat by the Spaniard would cause anger or envy, the situation was different.

“I was the happiest man in the world when he took the title. It opened the door for me to get a rematch,” Holloway said with a smile.

Topuria has beaten some big names so far – Volkanovski, Holloway and Oliveira. However, the 32-year-old from Waianae believes those wins weren’t in the perfect circumstances for his opponents.

“Yes, he beat those names and no one can deny that. But when you look at the bigger picture… Volk was in a special situation, coming off a loss, a short camp. People see the name and say ‘he beat Volk,’ but they don’t look at the state Volk was in at the time,” he told ShakMMA.

“Charles was on a winning streak. At the end of the day, it’s just moments, it’s just names. He does what he has to do, he wins, but let’s not overdramatize.”

Meanwhile, rumors of a fight between Topuria and Pimblett have died down, with Dana White stressing that Arman Tsarukyan is not yet ready for the title. That leaves room for Holloway, if he beats Poirier, to face the new champion again.

If that happens, the rematch could be one of the most exciting moments of the new UFC season, and the fighter from Hawaii would have a chance to correct what is still burning him.s