Max Holloway says there’s not one but two superfights on the blockbuster UFC 226 main card on Saturday.
UFC 226 is one of the most highly anticipated PPV’s of the year - and for good reason.
In the main event, reigning heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic will defend his title against light heavyweight kingpin Daniel Cormier in what has been billed a champion vs. champion superfight.
In the co-main, featherweight titleholder Max Holloway will defend his strap against surging contender Brian Ortega in one of the most exciting stylistic matchups of the year. The rest of the card will also feature a who’s who of top contenders and former champions, including the likes of Francis Ngannou, Anthony Pettis, and former kickboxing dynamo Gokhan Saki.
For Holloway, however, that isn’t enough. The proud Hawaiian believes his title defense against Ortega is a superfight in its own right, claiming that a win over ‘T-City’ will help cement his legacy as one of the best fighters of all time.
“It’s a legacy thing and when it’s all said and done, I want to leave a legacy in whatever way,” Holloway told Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports! in a recent interview. “If not, if it’s helping the division, if it’s fighting big names, I just want to be remembered as one of the greatest all-time to ever do this in the sport. That’s just what I want to do. I sacrifice a lot of time away from my family, away from my son and I just want to make them proud, make my family proud and my fans crowd and, you know, leave a legacy.”
“You want to be a part of the big card,” Holloway continued. “You want to be part of history. We got a match in the main event going for history. One of them trying to be the longest reigning defending heavyweight champion and one of them trying to hold two belts at the same time. And then, you have a big super fight. I’m not talking about the main event. I’m talking about the co-main event, too. It means a lot to me to be able to have this spot on this card. This is like the Super Bowl of the UFC, a blockbuster, a big blockbuster hit that comes out in the summer, this is it.”
Superfight or no superfight, Holloway vs. Ortega is one of the most talked about bouts of the year and promises fireworks at UFC 226. The pay-per-view extravaganza takes place this Saturday, July 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
