Max Holloway

McGregor opened with a jumping kick but landed awkwardly, and repeated instability made an injury to his right knee apparent. The referee stopped the bout at 1:09 of round one, awarding Holloway the TKO.

Key moments

• McGregor opened with a jumping kick and landed awkwardly.
• Repeated instability made the right-knee injury apparent.
• The referee stopped the bout at 1:09 of round one and Holloway received the TKO.

Holloway's BMF reign ended on the mat. Oliveira scored takedowns in all five rounds and controlled the grappling for a clean sweep on the cards (50–45 across the board), taking the ceremonial belt in a low-output fight.

Key moments

• BMF title fight — Oliveira took the belt from Holloway.
• Oliveira secured takedowns in all five rounds.
• Scored 50–45 on all three judges' cards.
• Ended Holloway's BMF reign.

A BMF title defense and the trilogy-capper against a retiring Poirier in his home state of Louisiana. Holloway edged a competitive, mostly stand-up war on the cards to close the series and spoil Poirier's farewell.

Key moments

• Successful BMF title defense.
• Closed the Poirier trilogy with his first win in the series.
• Spoiled Poirier's retirement fight in Louisiana.
• Decision win in a high-volume striking battle.

Challenging for the featherweight title, Holloway was knocked out for the first time in his career. Topuria dropped him with a left hook and finished with hammerfists at 1:34 of round three to retain the belt.

Key moments

• First knockout loss of Holloway's 12-year UFC career.
• Topuria dropped him with a left hook, then finished on the ground.
• Topuria retained the featherweight title.
• Stoppage at 1:34 of round three.

The defining moment of UFC 300. Holloway pointed to the centre of the Octagon and dared Gaethje to trade in the final seconds, then landed a right hand with roughly one second left to win the BMF title by spectacular last-instant knockout.

Key moments

• Won the BMF title by KO with about one second left in round five.
• Pointed to the canvas and invited Gaethje to brawl before the finish.
• Stoppage at 4:59 of the fifth round.
• Earned a reported $600,000 performance bonus.

Headlining in Singapore against the retiring 'Korean Zombie,' Holloway weathered an early scare before his volume took over, closing the show with a right hook just 23 seconds into round three.

Key moments

• KO 23 seconds into round three.
• Jung wobbled Holloway early before the tide turned.
• Sent the Korean Zombie into retirement.

Headlining in Kansas City, Holloway picked Allen apart over five rounds and ended Allen's unbeaten UFC run. The Hawaiian made history during the fight by becoming the first UFC fighter to land over 3,000 career significant strikes, and capped it with a knockdown of Allen in the final seconds of round five.

Key moments

• Broke Allen's undefeated UFC record (17-0 entering the fight).
• Became the first fighter in UFC history to land 3,000 career significant strikes.
• Knocked Allen down in the final seconds of round five.
• Judges scored it 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 for Holloway.

The trilogy finale left no doubt. Volkanovski dominated all five rounds, bloodying Holloway with a big cut over the left eye in round two and out-landing him 199 to 127 in significant strikes, sweeping the scorecards 50-45. Volkanovski completed the trilogy despite breaking a hand during the fight.

Key moments

• Volkanovski swept all three judges' scorecards 50-45.
• A counter right hand opened a deep cut over Holloway's left eye in round two.
• Volkanovski broke his left hand during the fight yet never slowed.
• Third and most decisive meeting of one of featherweight's defining rivalries.

A bloody and chaotic five-round featherweight war at the UFC Apex that won Fight of the Night honors. Holloway out-struck Rodriguez 230 to 159 in significant strikes — the third highest combined total in UFC history at the time — surviving a spinning elbow cut in round five to take the unanimous decision.

Key moments

• Won Fight of the Night in a five-round striking classic.
• Combined 389 significant strikes — third highest total in UFC history at the time.
• Rodriguez's spinning elbow cut Holloway above the right eye in round five.
• Holloway out-landed Rodriguez 230-159 on the official UFC stats.

One of the most statistically dominant performances in UFC history. Holloway landed 455 significant strikes — a UFC record — and 141 in the fourth round alone, dismantling a durable Kattar over five rounds on the inaugural UFC on ABC broadcast.

Key moments

• Landed 455 significant strikes, a UFC record at the time.
• Connected on a record 141 significant strikes in the fourth round alone.
• Judges scored it 50-43, 50-43, 50-42 for Holloway.
• Headlined the first-ever UFC card to air on ABC.

An immediate rematch on Fight Island that many observers felt Holloway won. Holloway dropped Volkanovski in rounds one and two with a head kick and an uppercut respectively, but Volkanovski closed strong with two fifth-round takedowns to retain his title by the slimmest of margins.

Key moments

• Split decision (49-48, 49-48, 48-49) — widely considered one of the most disputed results in UFC history.
• Holloway dropped Volkanovski in round one with a head kick.
• Holloway dropped Volkanovski again in round two with an uppercut.
• Volkanovski landed two takedowns in the fifth round to edge the final frame.

Australian challenger Alexander Volkanovski ended Holloway's 14-fight featherweight winning streak and reign as champion with a leg-kick-heavy gameplan. Volkanovski set a UFC featherweight record for leg kicks landed and consistently out-struck Holloway 173 to 103 to take the title by unanimous decision.

Key moments

• Ended Holloway's record 14-fight featherweight winning streak.
• Volkanovski set a UFC featherweight record for leg kicks in a single fight.
• Holloway was forced to switch to a southpaw stance as the leg kicks accumulated.
• Scores of 50-45, 48-47, 48-47 for Volkanovski.

A featherweight title defense in Edmonton against the durable Frankie Edgar. Holloway controlled the fight throughout, bloodying Edgar's nose across the championship rounds and extending his featherweight win streak to 14 with scores of 50-45, 50-45, and 48-47.

Key moments

• Successful featherweight title defense, extending his win streak at 145 lbs to 14.
• Bloodied Edgar's nose across the middle and championship rounds.
• Edgar attempted multiple takedowns; Holloway defended each and countered on the feet.
• Judges scored it 50-45, 50-45, 48-47 for Holloway.

Holloway moved up to lightweight to challenge for the interim title against Poirier. He came on strong in the middle rounds but a knee from Poirier opened a deep forehead cut in the fourth that cost him, and Poirier took the unanimous decision 49-46 to claim the interim lightweight strap.

Key moments

• Holloway moved up from featherweight to contest the interim lightweight title.
• A knee from Poirier opened a severe forehead cut in round four.
• Holloway rallied in the third round but the late-fight damage proved decisive.
• Poirier won 49-46 on all three scorecards and went on to unify with Khabib.

A featherweight title defense in Toronto against an undefeated Brian Ortega that saw Holloway batter his challenger systematically across four rounds. Despite Ortega wobbling Holloway in round three and taking his back, Holloway came out for the championship rounds and turned Ortega's face into a bloody mess until the cageside doctor stopped it between rounds four and five.

Key moments

• Ortega wobbled Holloway in round three and briefly took his back.
• Holloway turned it around emphatically in round four, landing in sustained combinations.
• Cageside doctor stopped the fight between rounds four and five due to Ortega's swollen eye and nose.
• Post-fight Holloway declared himself the best featherweight in UFC history.

The immediate rematch in Detroit, and a near-identical finish. Aldo was competitive through two rounds, but Holloway lured him into a stand-up exchange in the third, hurt him on the feet, and finished with ground-and-pound at 4:51 to record his 12th consecutive win.

Key moments

• First featherweight title defense, stopping Aldo in round three for the second straight fight.
• Aldo landed effective counters through rounds one and two before Holloway took over.
• Holloway out-struck Aldo 181 to 89 in total strikes across the fight.
• Extended his winning streak to 12 consecutive victories.

Holloway captured the undisputed featherweight championship in Aldo's backyard in Rio de Janeiro. After a competitive first two rounds, Holloway's volume overwhelmed the long-reigning Brazilian champion, who was stopped by punches in the third to end his six-year title reign. The fight earned Fight of the Night honors.

Key moments

• Won the undisputed UFC featherweight championship, ending Aldo's six-year reign.
• Fought in hostile territory in Rio de Janeiro; Aldo had never been stopped before.
• Holloway rode a 10-fight winning streak into the bout.
• Earned Fight of the Night honors.

Holloway won the interim featherweight title against Anthony Pettis at UFC 206, becoming the first man ever to stop Pettis by strikes. The fight was contested at catchweight after Pettis came in three pounds overweight, making Pettis ineligible for the belt even if he won.

Key moments

• Won the interim UFC featherweight championship.
• Became the first fighter to stop Pettis by TKO.
• Pettis weighed in at 148 lbs, three over the featherweight limit, making the bout a catchweight.
• Earned Performance of the Night bonus.

Holloway earned his ninth straight win with a dominant unanimous decision over top-five featherweight Ricardo Lamas at The Forum in Inglewood. Holloway defended all takedown attempts from Lamas while landing quick combinations, hurting him in multiple rounds and finishing with a late flurry.

Key moments

• Ninth consecutive victory, all three judges scored it 30-27.
• Defended every takedown attempt from Lamas, a former title challenger.
• Hurt Lamas on multiple occasions throughout the three rounds.
• Result solidified Holloway as the No. 1 featherweight contender.

Holloway opened the main card at UFC 194 — the same night as Aldo vs McGregor — with a composed unanimous decision over power-puncher Jeremy Stephens. He controlled the distance, avoided Stephens's overhand right, and took mount in the third round to threaten submissions and bank the final frame clearly.

Key moments

• Eighth consecutive win, extending one of the division's longest active streaks.
• Avoided Stephens's signature overhand right throughout the fight.
• Took mount in round three and threatened with submission attempts.
• Judges scored it 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 for Holloway.

An unusual finish in Saskatoon. Oliveira shot for a takedown, Holloway reversed to put the fight on the ground, and as both stood back up Oliveira immediately grabbed his neck and shoulder and crumpled to the canvas. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 1:39. The injury — linked to a pre-existing neck problem from training camp — remained a mystery, with the UFC later clarifying it was not a major structural injury.

Key moments

• TKO stoppage at 1:39 of round one due to Oliveira's injury.
• Oliveira suffered a neck or shoulder issue while defending a takedown.
• With the win Holloway became the youngest fighter in UFC history to reach 10 UFC victories.
• The exact nature of the injury was never publicly confirmed.

Holloway dominated Swanson on the feet for three rounds, working the body consistently before a knee buckled Swanson in round three. He capitalised immediately, locking in a mounted guillotine choke for the tap at 3:58 and earning his second Performance of the Night bonus.

Key moments

• Sixth consecutive win, extending his featherweight win streak.
• Attacked Swanson's body persistently across all three rounds.
• A body knee dropped Swanson and set up the third-round guillotine choke.
• Earned Performance of the Night bonus.

Holloway outworked a tricky Cole Miller in a Valentine's Day co-main event in Broomfield, Colorado. He controlled the striking range throughout, absorbed an accidental head butt that cut Miller, and banked all three rounds to collect the win and earn a UFC on Fox 15 co-main slot against Cub Swanson.

Key moments

• Unanimous decision victory that earned him a promotion to a UFC on Fox co-main event.
• Controlled the distance and out-landed Miller in each round.
• An accidental head butt opened a cut on Miller during round two.
• Fight took place on Valentine's Day in Broomfield, Colorado.

Filling in for injured Chan Sung Jung in Stockholm, Holloway absorbed early pressure from Corassani before landing a 1-2 combination to drop him, then a follow-up 1-2 for the first-round knockout. The finish earned Holloway his first Performance of the Night bonus.

Key moments

• Short-notice replacement for Chan Sung Jung at the Stockholm card.
• Dropped Corassani twice with a sharp 1-2 combination before the finish.
• First-round KO at 3:11.
• Earned his first UFC Performance of the Night bonus.

Holloway stopped an unheralded Clay Collard — a short-notice debutant — in the third round in Tulsa. Collard showed grit and tried to brawl, but Holloway's technical precision wore him down across three rounds until the stoppage arrived.

Key moments

• Collard replaced an injured Mirsad Bektic on short notice for his UFC debut.
• Holloway consistently out-struck Collard from the outset.
• Third-round TKO stoppage.
• Part of Holloway's run of consecutive wins through the 2014-2015 stretch.

A back-and-forth fight at UFC 172 in Baltimore where Fili had the better of the first round with a takedown and sharper counters, but Holloway rallied with a spinning back kick to the body in round two and ultimately finished with a tight guillotine choke in the third.

Key moments

• Fili controlled round one, landing a takedown and cleaner early shots.
• Holloway landed a sharp spinning back kick to the body in round two.
• Locked in a guillotine choke from a front headlock position in round three.
• Fili tapped at 3:39 of round three.

Holloway's first fight of 2014, held in Singapore. He took time to find his range against the taller Chope but turned it on through the first and finished in the second, cracking Chope with a left hand that hurt him badly, then following up with punches and knees until the stoppage. The win earned him Knockout of the Night.

Key moments

• Held in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands, UFC's first event in the city-state.
• Holloway found his range mid-way through round one and hurt Chope repeatedly.
• A left hand in round two wobbled Chope and triggered the finishing sequence.
• Earned Knockout of the Night bonus.

A 21-year-old Holloway faced McGregor on the undercard of Shogun vs Sonnen. McGregor's unorthodox angles troubled Holloway early, and the latter portion of the fight was spent on the ground with McGregor in control — though McGregor tore his ACL during the bout and fought through it to take the unanimous decision.

Key moments

• McGregor tore his ACL mid-fight when Holloway caught his leg, yet fought to the final bell.
• McGregor controlled the ground game in the later rounds to earn the decision.
• One of Holloway's last two pre-winning-streak losses; he went 13-0 at featherweight after this.
• McGregor improved to 14-2 and 2-0 in the UFC with the win.

A controversial split decision loss in Las Vegas that many ringside observers and media members felt Holloway had won. Holloway controlled the early striking, landing spinning back kicks, but Bermudez pressured and bloodied him in the later rounds, ultimately convincing two of three judges.

Key moments

• 11 of 11 media members scoring the fight at cageside gave the win to Holloway.
• Holloway controlled the striking range and landed spinning back kicks early.
• Bermudez pressured and bloodied Holloway in rounds two and three.
• Split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) for Bermudez.

A lively split-decision win over brawler Leonard Garcia in Las Vegas that drew a mixed reaction from the crowd. Holloway stepped in on short notice to replace an injured Cody McKenzie and showed sharper technical striking, though Garcia's work rate and aggression made it close enough that a section of the crowd disagreed with the verdict.

Key moments

• Holloway stepped in as a short-notice replacement for injured Cody McKenzie.
• A back-and-forth brawl that was a strong Fight of the Night contender.
• Split decision in Holloway's favour, though some at ringside felt Garcia won.
• Holloway was just 20 years old, the youngest competitor on the card.

Holloway's second UFC outing in Denver. He caught Lawrence with a hard body shot — specifically a liver punch — that dropped him in the second round, then followed up with punches to secure the TKO stoppage and earn his second straight UFC win.

Key moments

• Second UFC victory, securing back-to-back wins early in his career.
• A body knee set up a liver punch that dropped Lawrence in round two.
• TKO stoppage at 4:49 of round two.
• Holloway was 20 years old at the time of the fight.

Holloway's UFC debut on the TUF 15 Finale card in Las Vegas. He controlled all three rounds decisively, mixing kicks to the body and head with sustained hand combinations, winning 30-27 on all three judges' scorecards. Schilling took his punishment gamely but was outclassed throughout.

Key moments

• UFC debut at the TUF 15 Finale in Las Vegas.
• Won 30-27 on all three scorecards in a one-sided debut.
• Mixed body and head kicks with hand combinations throughout.
• Holloway was 20 years old on the night of his Octagon debut.

Holloway's pro debut in the UFC, stepping in as a short-notice replacement for Ricardo Lamas. Poirier took him down and demonstrated superior grappling, chaining an armbar into a triangle armbar that earned a tap at 3:23 of round one. The submission was awarded Submission of the Night.

Key moments

• Holloway entered UFC 143 as a short-notice replacement for Ricardo Lamas.
• Poirier chained an armbar into a mounted triangle armbar for the finish.
• Submission of the Night bonus went to Poirier for the sequence.
• Both fighters were 20 and 23 years old respectively; they would go on to fight twice more.

Holloway's final fight before entering the UFC, defeating Eddie Rincon by unanimous decision over three rounds at UIC 4 (War on the Valley Isle) in Hawaii. The win completed an unbeaten run on the regional Hawaii circuit ahead of his Octagon debut.

Key moments

• Last fight before his UFC signing.
• Unanimous decision over three rounds.
• Part of an unbeaten run through the Hawaii regional circuit.
• UIC 4 was a local Hawaii promotion known as War on the Valley Isle.

Holloway won the X-1 lightweight title in a five-round main event against Harris Sarmiento on the Hawaii regional circuit. The split decision gave him his first professional championship, establishing him as the top featherweight prospect coming out of Hawaii.

Key moments

• Won the X-1 promotion's lightweight title — Holloway's first professional championship.
• Five-round main event, decided by split decision.
• Part of the Hawaii-based X-1 promotion that developed his early career.
• Holloway was 19 years old at the time of this title win.

Holloway's second professional fight in Honolulu, and the first knockout win of his career. The 18-year-old stopped Kamaka inside a round with punches at the X-1: Island Pride show on the Hawaii regional circuit.

Key moments

• First knockout win of Holloway's professional career.
• Holloway was 18 years old — one of the youngest active pros in Hawaii MMA.
• First-round finish at 3:09.
• Part of the local Hawaii circuit that gave him his early reps before the UFC.

Holloway's professional debut at 18 years old on the Hawaii-based X-1 regional circuit. He went the distance and won a unanimous decision over three rounds, showing early striking discipline and cardio in his first paid fight.

Key moments

• Professional MMA debut at 18 years old.
• Unanimous decision over three rounds on the Hawaii regional circuit.
• Held under the X-1 World Events banner in Hawaii.
• Starting point of a career that would reach a UFC featherweight title reign.