Max Holloway has never thought small. Not when he was grinding through the early stages of his UFC career at featherweight, not when he was dethroning Jose Aldo, and apparently not even when discussing weight classes with Jon Anik nearly a decade ago.
What Jon Anik Revealed About Max Holloway
The UFC’s lead commentator dropped a fascinating detail that reframes how Max Holloway has always viewed his own ceiling. Jon Anik told Submission Radio:
“Max Holloway said to me probably 8 or 9 years ago that he was gonna take a UFC fight at middleweight before all was said and done.”
That conversation happened when ‘Blessed’ was still building his featherweight legacy. The fact that he was already thinking three weight classes ahead tells you everything about how this man operates.
How Holloway Became the Greatest Featherweight of All Time
The resume builds its own case without needing any decoration. Holloway unified the featherweight title, defended it 3 times, finished Jose Aldo twice, and put together one of the most statistically dominant title runs the division has ever seen. He holds the record for most significant strikes landed in UFC history.
His BMF title win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 with a last-second knockout remains one of the most iconic moments in the promotion’s history.
He then moved to lightweight permanently and beat Dustin Poirier before the Charles Oliveira loss in 2026. The man has fought everyone worth fighting and beaten almost all of them.
What a Win Over Conor McGregor at UFC 329 Opens Up For Max Holloway
If Holloway beats Conor McGregor at UFC 329 on July 11, the fan demand for a Max Holloway versus Islam Makhachev superfight becomes impossible to ignore. A win over the sport’s biggest star would make him the most compelling challenger for Makhachev, whoever holds the welterweight title.
The middleweight prophecy ‘Blessed’ made to Anik years ago suddenly does not sound so outlandish either.
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