Max Holloway has always known his worth.
The reigning BMF champion will return for his first fight of this year in Saturday’s UFC 326 main event.
Holloway’s rematch with Charles Oliveira will close out the third numbered event of the Paramount era, as the Brazilian looks to become the fourth holder of the symbolic title.
Ahead of his main event in Las Vegas, Holloway recently became the latest UFC fighter to speak on fighter pay amid the creation of Zuffa Boxing, and it is not the Hawaiian’s first time expressing his thoughts publicly.
With Topuria continuing to tease a move up to 170lbs, could Holloway once again become an undisputed champion?🤔
Max Holloway demanded better pay from the UFC after beating Jose Aldo
Holloway believed he earned a bigger slice of the pie when he won an eleventh fight in a row to become undisputed UFC featherweight champion in 2017.
‘Blessed’ completed his ascent to the 145-pound throne at UFC 212. In the main event unification fight, Holloway knocked out the legendary Jose Aldo.
A couple of fights before that, the Hawaiian sat down with Dana White to discuss his contract situation. Holloway revealed he was told to continue fighting his way through the division, and once he beat the division’s best, he would move to a higher pay rate.
It is safe to say that ‘Blessed’ remembered that conversation just moments after tearing through Aldo.
“Dana, I want my meeting!” Holloway shouted into a camera held by journalist John Morgan after exiting the Octagon in Rio de Janeiro.
“Pay the man! Pay me money! You said you were big-game hunting! Tell me what big game! I just got one on your head now!”
Max Holloway’s latest fighter pay comments after Zuffa Boxing offered Conor Benn $15 million
Conor Benn signed for Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing last month in a deal worth $15 million for one fight.
That reignited the debate over fighter pay in the UFC, with the likes of Michael ‘Venom’ Page admitting it was disheartening to see White’s boxing venture dishing out those contracts.
Holloway recently commented during an interview on Demetrious Johnson’s YouTube channel, and he urged fighters to rally together.
“Hopefully, fighters can get together and start being smart,” Holloway said.
“One time will always stick out in my mind. When Jon Jones said, ‘I’ll fight Francis, give me [$30 million]’ and UFC said, ‘We’re not paying you that.’ Derrick Lewis, who was ranked at the time, said, ‘What? Give me [$8 million], and I’ll fight Francis now.’
“We cannot be doing that, brother,” he continued. “You needed to be almost standing in Jon’s corner, like, ‘Yeah, Jon, you deserve $10M, go get that.’ Cause guess what, if he’s fighting for [$30 million], your base pay probably goes up too.
“These new fighters coming in, just know your worth… At the end of the day, hold your ground, the UFC knows what your worth is.”
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