Max Holloway has all the time known his value.
The reigning BMF champion will return for his first fight of this yr in Saturday’s UFC 326 foremost event.
Holloway’s rematch with Charles Oliveira will close out the third numbered event of the Paramount era, because the Brazilian looks to change into the fourth holder of the symbolic title.
Ahead of his foremost event in Las Vegas, Holloway recently became the newest UFC fighter to talk on fighter pay amid the creation of Zuffa Boxing, and it isn’t the Hawaiian’s first time expressing his thoughts publicly.
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Max Holloway demanded higher pay from the UFC after beating Jose Aldo
Holloway believed he earned an even bigger slice of the pie when he won an eleventh fight in a row to change into undisputed UFC featherweight champion in 2017.
‘Blessed’ accomplished his ascent to the 145-pound throne at UFC 212. Within the foremost event unification fight, Holloway knocked out the legendary Jose Aldo.
A few fights before that, the Hawaiian sat down with Dana White to debate his contract situation. Holloway revealed he was told to proceed fighting his way through the division, and once he beat the division’s best, he would move to the next pay rate.
It’s secure to say that ‘Blessed’ remembered that conversation just moments after tearing through Aldo.
“Dana, I need my meeting!” Holloway shouted right into a camera held by journalist John Morgan after exiting the Octagon in Rio de Janeiro.
“Pay the person! Pay me money! You said you were big-game hunting! Tell me what big game! I just got one in your head now!”
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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 value $15 million for one fight.
That reignited the controversy over fighter pay within the UFC, with the likes of Michael ‘Venom’ Page admitting it was disheartening to see White’s boxing enterprise meting 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 begin being smart,” Holloway said.
“One time will all the time 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 on the time, said, ‘What? Give me [$8 million], and I’ll fight Francis now.’
“We can’t 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 recent fighters coming in, just know your value… At the tip of the day, hold your ground, the UFC knows what your value is.”