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Max Holloway Releases Tear-Jerking Post Following UFC 308 Loss: 'New Destination'

The 'BMF' champion took to social media following a third-round TKO in the UFC 308 main event Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

Zain Bando

Max Holloway eats a punch from Ilia Topuria at UFC 308.
Max Holloway eats a punch from Ilia Topuria at UFC 308. / (via Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

'BMF' champion Max Holloway (26-8 MMA) said he is in good spirits following his third-round TKO loss to featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA) in the main event of UFC 308 Saturday afternoon in Abu Dhabi.

Holloway, 32, took to social media to address the loss. Up until the Topuria fight, the Hawaiian native had never been knocked out during his UFC stint. It was Holloway's fourth unsuccessful attempt at regaining the title he once held from June 2017-Dec. 2019 and his first loss in over two years.

3 Next Fights for Max Holloway After UFC 308

"Sometimes you get [a] highlight, then sometimes you’re the highlight. This is why [MMA] is the craziest sport in the world. Congrats to the El Matador. As to my family, friends and supporters, we [are] good! The Blessed Express ain’t stopping here. We [are] on our way to a new destination. Make sure you have your ticket, get excited. Thank you all for the love and support," Holloway wrote early Sunday morning.

UFC 308 Post-Fight Press Conference Following Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway

The post has generated buzz from Holloway's 4.5 million followers. Over 465,000 people liked it, plus another 11,000-plus comments. It's safe to assume Holloway is one of the UFC's most beloved fan-friendly fighters.

Holloway said he was intrigued by the idea of moving back to lightweight, with former interim lightweight and ex-'BMF' champion, Dustin Poirier, as a potential trilogy fight. The pair fought at UFC 236 in 2019, with Poirier taking home the decision win. Seven years prior, at UFC 143, Holloway fell victim to Poirier again. This time, it was the wrong end of the triangle-turned-armbar submission.

“That’d be nice, 'The Diamond'. Sign me up, bro. I love that guy. I got nothing but respect for the guy," Holloway said at the UFC 308 post-fight presser. "He is up 2-0 against my ass, and I don’t have the best luck against people who are 2-0 against me. I guess I gotta try it again.”

Holloway said he plans to take some time away from fighting. He added he wants to target a return next summer, ideally for International Fight Week in Las Vegas.

And Still! Ilia Topuria Knocks out Max Holloway to Retain UFC Gold

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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