Max Holloway could’ve waited to fight Alexander Volkanovski for the third time but he opted to face Yair Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Vegas 42 on Saturday.
Holloway returned to the win column in January with a five-round beatdown of Calvin Kattar. After the fight, many thought he would fight for the belt next time out but for the Hawaiian, he says he didn’t want to wait and wanted to fight.
“I didn’t want to wait until the new year,” Holloway explained Monday on The MMA Hour. “I wanted to keep on fighting. Everywhere, everyone, every time. Let’s get it. They told us we didn’t have to [take the fight]. They told us we could wait it out, but I was like, ‘I ain’t about that. We ain’t about that.’ I talked to my team, I let my team know and they were all on board. And we’re here today.”
Max Holloway says he sees countless fighters in other divisions waiting around for the title shot. Yet, for him, he doesn’t want to be one of those elevator divas waiting for the shot. He would rather beat everyone up and make it clear he is next in line.
“The UFC, they don’t have this tournament structure, so a lot of these guys, they’re just waiting at the elevator. You know? They’re waiting at the elevator to go to the top,” Holloway said. “And I’m not an elevator waiter. There’s no line at the stairs, so that’s where you can find me — at the stairs. This is not new for us. This is not new for us at all. For me and my team, it’s very important to not be elevator divas. I want to just get out there and keep doing the damn thing.
“Everybody else can figure out [who I’m talking about],” Holloway added. “You guys can choose who the elevator divas are in this sport, but you know your boy will be at the stairs and we’ll be running up and down those bad boys.”
Although he doesn’t want to wait, if Holloway defeats Rodriguez on Saturday he will be next in line for the belt.
