Motivation is a term Max Holloway scoffs at.
From the outside, Holloway’s first title defense as UFC featherweight champion against the man he beat for the belt six months ago seems like a letdown.
Jose Aldo, the former longtime champion of the featherweight division, was last seen laid out on the canvas in his home country of Brazil courtesy of a third-round knockout by Holloway to unify the 145-pound title.
Holloway (18-3, 14-3 UFC), whose 11-fight win streak dates back to 2013, was set to move on and fight Frankie Edgar, the last big name in the featherweight division Holloway has yet to beat.
An injury last month in training forced Edgar out of the fight, and with wins over No. 1 Aldo, No. 3 Ricardo Lamas and No. 4 Cub Swanson already, Holloway wasn’t left with many attractive options for opponents in the division.
The UFC settled on the name recognition of Aldo (26-3, 8-2) for the main event of UFC 218 on Saturday night in Detroit. Despite the loss six months ago, Aldo still has only suffered two defeats professionally in the last 12 years.
He isn’t the opponent Holloway wants to fulfill his desire of cleaning out the division, but don’t question Holloway’s motivation for the fight.
“I have no idea when people talk about motivation,” Holloway said in a conference call last week. “A fight is a fight. I’m not trying to go out there and get my ass whupped in front of a million people. I don’t care who I fight. I could fight this guy 10 times in a row and I’ll be motivated. It doesn’t take much to motivate me.”
Holloway could have waited the estimated six to eight weeks Edgar is sidelined and taken the fight in February or March, but was adamant from the moment he found out about the injury he would still fight at UFC 218, even if it meant moving up in weight.
Aldo was scheduled to fight Lamas in two weeks and jumped at the opportunity to get a quicker-than-expected chance to reclaim his title.
“It’s going to be different because I’m motivated and very well trained right now,” Aldo said.
“I’m really focused and I believe it is going to be a different ending for this fight.”
Holloway was incredulous about Aldo’s motivation.
“We fought him in his hometown this last one and he was the champion,” Holloway said. “For him to be saying now he’s way more motivated — fighting for your country, fighting in front of your people for your belt is not enough motivation?”
Oddsmakers peg Holloway as nearly a 3:1 favorite despite Aldo being ahead two rounds to none on all three judges’ scorecards entering the third round of their first fight.
Aldo defended the UFC 145-pound title a record six consecutive times before losing to Conor McGregor in December 2015.
Holloway’s 11-fight win streak has been topped only by Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson and Georges St-Pierre.
A win over Aldo would tie Holloway with GSP and bring him four wins away from matching Silva’s legendary win streak from 2006 to ‘13 that featured 13 of his 17 wins in a main event.
“At the end of the day, this is a legacy fight,” Holloway said. “Jose has never lost back-to-back and nobody has ever beaten him twice. Me being the greatest featherweight champion is a long thing. This is a step and a steppingstone and I’ve got to get this one first. He’s had six, seven, eight (defenses in a row) and I got a ways to go.”
For the second time in a row, Holloway will fight on the same card as Makaha’s Yancy Medeiros.
Medeiros (14-4, 5-4) has won consecutive fights for the second time in the UFC entering Saturday’s welterweight bout against No. 15-ranked Alex Oliveira (17-3-1, 7-2), who has won four straight since losing to Donald Cerrone.
That fight will be shown on Fox Sports 1 prior to the start of the pay-per-view telecast at approximately 4 p.m. Hawaii time.