Max Holloway

McGregor landed awkwardly on an early jumping kick, compromising his surgically repaired right knee. Repeated instability on the leg made the injury unmistakable before Holloway could open up. The referee halted the bout at 1:09 of round one, awarding Holloway the first-round TKO.

Key moments

• McGregor landed awkwardly on an early jumping kick, compromising his surgically repaired right knee.
• Repeated instability on the leg made the injury unmistakable before Holloway could open up.
• The referee halted the bout at 1:09 of round one, awarding Holloway the first-round 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.

The retiring Poirier and Holloway completed their five-round trilogy fight in New Orleans. The contest remained competitive as Holloway worked through Poirier's late second-round success. Holloway earned the unanimous decision, defended the BMF title and recorded his first win in the series.

Key moments

• Holloway and Poirier completed their five-round trilogy fight in New Orleans.
• Poirier hurt Holloway late in round two but did not take over the bout.
• Holloway's volume carried the unanimous decision and BMF title defense.

The opening two rounds were tight, with both men trading taunts and Topuria borrowing Holloway's point-to-the-ground invitation. A clean right cross drove Holloway to the cage in round three. Topuria's left hook dropped Holloway before the hammerfists ended the fight at 1:34 of the third.

Key moments

• The opening two rounds were tight, with both men trading taunts and Topuria borrowing Holloway's point-to-the-ground invitation.
• A clean right cross drove Holloway to the cage in round three.
• Topuria's left hook dropped Holloway before the hammerfists ended the fight at 1:34 of the third.

Holloway used his long punches to pick at Gaethje early and landed the better shots through the first 15 minutes. Gaethje found more success in the fourth, dropping Holloway and landing low kicks. When the final 10-second signal sounded, Holloway invited Gaethje to trade and landed the right hand at 4:59 of round five.

Key moments

• Holloway used his long punches to pick at Gaethje early and landed the better shots through the first 15 minutes.
• Gaethje found more success in the fourth, dropping Holloway and landing low kicks.
• When the final 10-second signal sounded, Holloway invited Gaethje to trade and landed the right hand at 4:59 of round five.

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.

Max Holloway kept Arnold Allen at bay through the first four rounds with economical, efficient work. Allen pressed to overwhelm him in the final round, but Holloway stayed active and landed clean shots as Allen reset, earning the unanimous decision.

Key moments

• Holloway fought economically while staying efficient through the first four rounds.
• Allen pressed to overwhelm Holloway over the final five minutes.
• Holloway answered Allen's resets with clean shots that helped decide the close rounds.

The trilogy finale left no doubt. Volkanovski completed the trilogy despite breaking a hand during the fight.

Key moments

• 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.

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

• 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.

A featherweight title defense in Edmonton against the durable Frankie Edgar.

Key moments

• 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.

Poirier landed power shots in the opening round that hurt Holloway and established the damage edge at lightweight. Holloway's durability allowed him to rebuild momentum with accurate combinations and sustained output through the middle rounds. Both men kept finding surges through the championship rounds, but Poirier's broader body of work earned the interim belt.

Key moments

• Poirier landed power shots in the opening round that hurt Holloway.
• Holloway rebuilt momentum with accurate combinations and sustained output through the middle rounds.
• Poirier's broader body of work across five hard rounds earned the interim belt.

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.

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.

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.
• Earned Fight of the Night honors.

Pettis backed Holloway up for much of the fight, but Holloway fired off his back foot with accuracy and force. Pettis broke his right hand on the first punch he threw in round one and turned to wrestling as the fight progressed. Holloway unleashed a late combination in the third round to produce the TKO at 4:50.

Key moments

• Holloway fired off his back foot with accuracy and force while Pettis pushed forward.
• Pettis broke his right hand on the first punch he threw and turned to wrestling as the fight progressed.
• Holloway's late third-round combination produced the TKO at 4:50 and the interim title.

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

• 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.

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.

McGregor shut out Holloway over three rounds in a solid second UFC appearance. The judges returned scores of 30-27 twice and 30-26 for McGregor. McGregor tore his ACL during the bout, an injury the UFC later described as nearly derailing the matchup.

Key moments

• McGregor shut out Holloway over three rounds.
• The judges returned scores of 30-27 twice and 30-26 for McGregor.
• McGregor tore his ACL during the bout.

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

• 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

• 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. Schilling took his punishment gamely but was outclassed throughout.

Key moments

• UFC debut at the TUF 15 Finale in Las Vegas.
• 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 won the X-1 lightweight title in a five-round main event against Harris Sarmiento on the Hawaii regional circuit.

Key moments

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

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

• 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.