​Max Holloway is poised to add another chapter to a storied career when he faces Conor McGregor at UFC 329 this Sunday. The Hawaii native is a former UFC featherweight champion, a former BMF title-holder, and a future Hall of Famer whose influence and achievements span many dimensions of the organization’s history. Yet if you asked MMA fans to name their all-time Mount Rushmore of UFC fighters, Holloway’s name would often be missing from the shortlist, a testament to how selective such lists can be. He first stepped into the octagon in 2012, barely four fights into his professional MMA career, and has been a constant presence ever since. Now 34, Holloway’s legacy is secure, and a new generation of contenders—like 27-year-old Briton Lone’er Kavanagh, who fights on this weekend’s undercard—have no doubt about his standing as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
“I still feel the little kid in me when I see him compete,” Kavanagh said. “I’ve looked up to Max because he’s been at the top for so long and has consistently delivered exciting bouts. I appreciate his mindset entering each contest, so if someone had told me five years ago I’d be sharing a card with Max Holloway, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
As the build-up to UFC 329’s headliner—a rematch with McGregor—unfolds, BBC Sport revisits Holloway’s ascent and the records he’s etched into the sport’s history. Holloway entered the UFC at age 20, the youngest fighter on the roster at the time, taking his debut on short notice against Dustin Poirier in 2012. Signing a debutant who had fought only four professional bouts appeared risky, but it has proven to be a gamble that paid off.
When Holloway walks to the octagon at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena in the early hours of Sunday, it will mark his 32nd bout inside the UFC. He is set to headline his 15th main event, a tally surpassed only by a handful of legends: Anderson Silva (21), Jon Jones (19), Randy Couture (18), and Tito Ortiz (16). The truth is the UFC knows they can rely on Holloway to draw crowds and deliver a memorable performance.
Holloway has captured 23 wins in his 32 UFC appearances, with nine losses, and his tenure has spanned eight title fights. He became the interim featherweight champion by defeating Anthony Pettis in 2016 and consolidated that status by stopping fellow great Jose Aldo the following year to become undisputed champion. After two successful defenses of the 145-pound belt, Holloway pursued a second division’s glory but was thwarted in his bid for the interim lightweight title by Poirier, snapping a remarkable five-year, 13-fight win streak in the process. He claimed one more successful defense of the featherweight belt before losing it to Alexander Volkanovski in 2019. Although world-title glory has eluded him since, his willingness to continue chasing championships—despite three additional title challenges failing—has kept him among the sport’s most formidable draws.
This weekend also marks Holloway’s welterweight bow, with three of his last four fights having taken place at lightweight, underscoring his willingness to challenge himself across heights and divisions. In terms of booking and popularity, however, Holloway remains a cornerstone of the UFC’s appeal, a fighter whose enduring presence stretches beyond a single weight class and continues to shape the sport’s narrative.