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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Max Holloway’s featherweight run appears to be over.

“Blessed” recently challenged for the UFC’s 145-pound title at UFC 308 and was knocked out for the first time in his career by Ilia Topuria. While Holloway teased a move up in weight at the post-fight press conference, he has since announced he’s planning a full-time move to the lightweight division.

“Maybe this is like my phoenix moment, you know, from the ashes,” Holloway said on his YouTube channel. “We’re reborn. So we’re on to bigger, better stuff and walking through a new door, and starting a new chapter, and I’m a big believer in never say never, and the big question right now is, ‘Was that your last fight at 145?’

“You guys saw me kind of touch upon it at the press conference and I can honestly say I think I’m done with 145. Your boy, like I said, we’re only getting older. I’ve done 33 [fights], this cut was easy, bro… but it takes a toll cutting weight, period, at whatever weight you are. Like I said, I had to give up ramen for my [featherweight] camps, so I’m done with that. I don’t ever want to give up ramen again. 155, here we come and 155 is where I want to stay.”

Holloway has competed at lightweight in the UFC twice, first losing a close decision to Dustin Poirier for the interim lightweight title at UFC 236 in April 2019, and earlier this year knocking out Justin Gaethje in the final second of their “BMF” title fight at UFC 300.

The 32-year-old owns many of the featherweight division’s top accolades, but for him, it’s about fan-friendly matchups, and starting a new journey in his already Hall of Fame career.

“This is a new chapter,” Holloway said. “This is where we start. This is where we begin, and I’m super excited for it. I cannot wait. Like I said, never say never, but I can honestly look you guys in the eyes and tell you guys I’m probably not ever going back to [145].

“I loved what I did, I did what I did, I did what I had to do there, I worked my way back, I clawed my way back up to the championship fight multiple times there. I was the champion, I defended at that weight, now it’s time to move on the next chapter and 155, there’s a bunch of fun fights that I cannot wait to take. We’re going to take some time off, we’re going to relax, heal, I owe my wife some downtime and some trips. So that’s all we’re going to do, but when I do make the return, it’s going to be at 155 and we are there to stay.”

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Brandon Moreno’s UFC Edmonton performance was certainly championship caliber, but the two-time champ isn’t sure it will be enough to get him a title shot next.

Moreno dismantled Amir Albazi over five rounds in the main event of Saturday’s card at Rogers Place to snap a two-fight skid with a unanimous decision win. “The Assassin Baby” said he will gladly fight the winner of the upcoming flyweight title fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura if the UFC offers it, but the 30-year-old believes he still may have work to do.

“I don’t know, hopefully [I fight for the belt next],” Moreno said at the evening’s post-fight press conference. “I want to be honest with myself, I think, maybe, I have to fight one more time before the title. But I don’t know what the UFC is thinking right now. Maybe they got so impressed with the performance tonight and say, ‘Maybe he can get the title next.’ I know [Brandon] Royval is there. Kai Kara-France is trying to get the opportunity for the title next. So, I don’t know. I’ll be ready for whatever.”

Moreno has fought Pantoja on three different occasions and come up short in all of them — including their most recent bout when he lost the title to the current champ at UFC 290 in July 2023. Moreno went on to face Brandon Royval for the second time in the main event of UFC Mexico City in February, when he again found himself on the wrong end of a split decision.

The exciting flyweight fighter has plenty of options in front of him, including potential third meetings with Royval and another top 125-pound contender.

“I can get [a rematch] with Royval,” Moreno said. “I don’t want to fight with Kai again because I fought him twice and I beat him, but if I have to do that [I will]. Tatsuro Taira is there. Kai Asakura, let’s see what happens there against Pantoja. If he loses, that can be the next one.

“I don’t know, let’s see what happens.”

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Light work!
| BJPenn.com

Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis, who hold the promotion’s all-time knockout record at 15, was unable to add to his record at the UFC Edmonton MMA event last night in Canada, thanks to a mysterious “medical issue” that sent “The Black Beast” to the sidelines.

So what the heck happened?

“There is nothing to update beyond what the official release was,” UFC exec Dave Shaw revealed at the UFC Edmonton post-fight press conference. “It was not a fight-related medical issue or not a weight-cut-related medical issue. The situation yesterday was all … It was all happening in real time. So we didn’t actually have enough answers at the time of ceremonial weigh-ins yesterday. He weighed in yesterday morning.”

This marks the second time Lewis bailed on short notice.

“He had to cut a little bit but it’s not uncommon for him. And then, over the course of the afternoon, he started to get the medical treatment and we just didn’t have any answers. So at that point, it made more sense for us to proceed with the weigh-ins with Diniz and try to figure out what was going on before making any decisions. But there is no substitute to taking the safe road when it comes to athlete health and safety. So it was the right decision to not compete.”

His opponent, was later rebooked to face Marcin Tybura at UFC 309.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic are preparing to meet in the UFC 309 main event but there’s almost as much curiosity surrounding what happens afterwards as there is what’s going to happen in the fight.

There are longstanding rumors that both competitors might call it a career and it’s tough to fault that logic. At 42, Miocic doesn’t have age on his side while Jones isn’t far behind at 37. The two have accomplished more in their illustrious careers than most fighters could ever dream of.

While it’s highly unlikely any decision on retirement is announced prior to the event, Jones’ longtime coach Brandon Gibson is treating the current training camp like this is the last time he makes the walk with the reigning UFC heavyweight champion.

“Whenever Jon’s ready [to retire], I’m right there with him,” Gibson told MMA Fighting. “I’m approaching this one like it’s our last go, it’s our last rodeo.”

Just because the upcoming fight against Miocic might be the final time Jones appears in the UFC doesn’t mean he’s already got one foot out the door. Gibson insists when it comes to Jones’ actual skills and preparation, he’s never been sharper.

Jones has already accomplished so much in the sport, with fighters, fans, and pundits regularly discussing him as the greatest of all time, so there aren’t many more accolades that he could add to his résumé. Beating Miocic, the longest-reigning heavyweight champion in UFC history and also the record-holder for most defenses of that title (3), is definitely a checkmark that Jones wants before calling it a career, but Gibson acknowledges there has to be a finish line for every athlete at some point.

“I think physically, mentally, he could go in there and have five or six more great performances,” Gibson said. “There’s nothing left for Jon to prove. I think he really wants this fight with Stipe. I think this fight will help solidify Jon’s status as that great heavyweight champion but it’s not something we talk about every night at the gym. We’re definitely all eyes on Nov. 16. But each time I go to a practice, I’m approaching it as this is my last camp. I’m giving it my all.

“If we get one more after this, if we get two more, that would be a great blessing. I’m also ready to see Jon hang it up. Put the belt up. I’d prefer them to walk away obviously earlier than later. Out of all the fighters, Jon deserves to walk away any time he wants. I’m always going to support those guys.”

A huge part of the narrative leading up to UFC 309 is that Jones is facing an easier opponent in Miocic, as opposed to throwing down with Tom Aspinall. The interim heavyweight champion sports an 8-1 record in the UFC with all but one of his wins ending by first round knockout or submission and he has already defended his title once in Jones’ absence.

As much respect as Gibson maintains for Aspinall or any other potential opponent for Jones, he knows that there’s always going to be another challenge awaiting any champion in the sport. A couple of years ago Jones fighting Francis Ngannou was all anybody could talk about and now that attention has shifted dramatically towards Aspinall.

“There’s always going to be a next No. 1 contender,” Gibson said. “There’s never going to be a perfect time to walk out. Somebody will always say ‘but you didn’t fight that guy.’ To me, it doesn’t matter.

“Ten years from now we’ll have all the generational talks. How would [Muhammad] Ali have done against [Mike] Tyson? How would a Tyson done against Tyson Fury? There’s always going to be those types of discussions that will come down the road, too. There’s always a lot of what ifs in this game but what I do know is Nov. 16 we’ll be standing across the cage, across the octagon from Stipe and his great team. That’s what we’re focused on.”

By the time Jones competes on Nov. 16, he’ll be over 20 months removed from his most recent appearance in the UFC when he dispatched Ciryl Gane in the first round to claim the vacant heavyweight title. While he had to take time off to recover from a torn pectoral muscle, which is why the Miocic fight was pushed back from 2023 to 2024, Jones has continued to adapt his body to become the best heavyweight possible.

As impressive as his heavyweight debut was, Gibson expects even better out of Jones when he competes in the division for the second time against Miocic.

“He is getting stronger, faster, more skilled at heavyweight,” Gibson said. “Early on, to make that jump from light heavyweight, to get up to heavyweight was putting on a lot of size, a lot of mass. Now his body has gotten very accustomed to that size. You saw his recent photo how lean he’s getting for heavyweight and then we’ve just assembled this super team of training partners and coaches.

“Jon’s the greatest student in the game as well so he’s always learning. I think he’s already the most dangerous heavyweight there is and now you add in this plethora of new tools, oh it’s just terrifying. He would be a nightmare to coach against because there’s no path to victory against Jon Jones.”

If all goes well at UFC 309 and Jones beats Miocic to add that name to his résumé, he may decide right then and there to lay down his gloves and retire or perhaps he’ll call out Aspinall for a champion versus champion fight.

No matter what, Gibson plans to support the decision because he believes if anyone has earned the right to go out on his terms, it’s Jones.

“Jon’s been sacrificing his body for this game for a long time,” Gibson said. “He’s earned it.”

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts