Former UFC featherweight champion Max “Blessed” Holloway is never one to back down from a challenge. In a recent interview, Holloway addressed fans who claim heavyweight knockout artist Francis Ngannou is the true “BMF” (Baddest Motherf***er) of the UFC.
“You think I care? I dare,” Holloway stated defiantly. “That’s why a lot of fighters is cut from a different cloth. Even some fighters is worried about certain weights. Why? If you own the power of a pound-for-pound beast, you should be willing to fight anybody.”
Holloway argued that the “pound-for-pound” designation transcends weight classes, putting the best fighters against each other regardless of their division. To him, being considered one of the pound-for-pound greats means you don’t get to pick and choose your opponents.
“If you’re champion in your weight class, I mean props. But this pound-for-pound thing, these are the guys not just in one weight class,” he explained. “I’m sick and tired of everybody telling me what I got and putting a limit on me, just because you put a limit on yourself.”
While the 6’4″ Ngannou’s frightening knockout power is undeniable, the 5’11” Holloway scoffed at the idea that the Cameroonian heavyweight’s “BMF” status is uncontested. Channeling his Hawaiian roots, Holloway proclaimed, “I’m reaching for the stars and I’m reaching for other universes. So I like I said, we’re not the same.”
The brash Holloway has been angling for a big money fight lately, so it’s unclear if he was just blowing smoke or genuinely throwing his name in the hat to challenge the seemingly unstoppable Ngannou. One thing is for sure – whether you think he’s crazy or not, Max Holloway is unfazed by doubters questioning his claim to BMF credentials.