Max Holloway’s interest has been piqued following Islam Makhachev’s recent trading-card questions that saw him select to fight ‘Blessed’. The Dagestani is currently preparing to face Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, and ahead of the bout he was handed a pack of trading cards featuring UFC fighters during an interview.
Makhachev was asked to pick three cards, and of those three fighters, he had to choose who to hang out with, who to train with and who he would fight. The lightweight champion chose to fight Holloway, which has drawn a response from the BMF titleholder.
Having moved from featherweight to lightweight following his KO loss to Ilia Topuria, the Hawaiian will be eager to secure a top-tier opponent for his newfound journey.
Footage of Makhachev’s recent interview with ESPN MMA was uploaded to their account on X, where they wrote:
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“We had the fighters of UFC 311 categorize their counterparts using trading cards.”
Check out Islam Makhachev‘s selections below:
Holloway came across the footage, and reacted by posting the following emoji:
“????”
Check out Max Holloway‘s post below:
Max Holloway breaks down Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311
UFC 311 will be headlined by a lightweight title clash between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan, set to take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Jan. 18.
As arguably two of the most well-rounded fighters in the division, their clash has fans brimming with anticipation. The pair previously faced off at UFC Fight Night 149 in 2019, a competitive clash that saw Makhachev secure a unanimous decision win.
But the back-and-forth nature of their first fight has led to speculation about whether or not Tsarukyan will be able to do enough to topple the lightweight king in their rematch.
Both fighters are regarded for their elite wrestling skills, but they also hold a knockout win in their last two fights, respectively. The title bout was recently broken down by BMF title holder Max Holloway, who said:
-“This is not the same Islam that he fought the first time. With Arman, I don’t know. At the end of the day he is a great fighter. But did his striking improve as much as Islam’s? That’s a tough one, to my eyes, to the film I’ve been watching I would have to say no… Arman can finish Islam [and] Islam can finish Arman.”
Check out Max Holloway’s breakdown for Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan below (13:43):
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Edited by Tejas Rathi