Former title challenger Chael Sonnen isn’t sure Max Holloway is approaching his BMF title fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 correctly.
Among the biggest matchups set for the historic event on April 13 in Las Vegas sees ex-featherweight champion Holloway move up to lightweight for the second time in his Octagon career.
After falling short of the interim belt against Dustin Poirier back in 2019, “Blessed” will challenge for a different strap in his return to 155 pounds. At UFC 300, he’ll look to leave T-Mobile Arena with the BMF title.
That crown was claimed by Gaethje at UFC 291 last July, where he knocked out Poirier. Originally, “The Highlight” hoped that the result would net him a shot at the divisional throne against Islam Makhachev.
He’ll now hope to secure that by defending the BMF belt for the first time against Holloway, who has been told that a victory of his own would net the same opportunity.
Chael Sonnen On Max Holloway/Justin Gaethje: ‘I Do Get A Little Bit Of Concern When I Hear Max Holloway
While his next fight will be at lightweight, Max Holloway’s main ambitions still sit in the featherweight division. “Blessed” will have a keen interest in next month’s title tilt between Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria at UFC 298, as he gets set to target the winner.
But according to Sonnen, Max Holloway’s focus on the landscape at 145 pounds puts his mindset in an undesirable state leading up to UFC 300.
“I believe whoever wins that (Gaethje vs. Max Holloway) takes everything. In the history of combat, whatever you’ve got is on the line,” Sonnen said during a video uploaded to his YouTube channel. “It’s being talked about the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Arman (Tsarukyan) will be the one that fights Islam. I push back on that, I resist that. I believe Gaethje is the number one contender, he’s gonna go have business with Max, and if Max beats him, Max takes both; he takes the belt and he takes the contendership. Max came out and said no, he’s gonna return to 145. That’s the belt he wants.
“I do understand that… But I’ve seen more often, when a guy doesn’t burn his ships, when a guy has something great to return to even in defeat, when a guy doesn’t have to win… It’s a mindset,” Sonnen continued. “When I hear about Max talking about wanting to return to 145… I don’t know that Max fully understands the opportunity he has. There’s been a lot of 145-pound champions… It’s special, for sure. (But) there have not been a lot of BMF champions and there are not gonna be a lot… Max’s opportunity isn’t down the road, it’s now. His championship opportunity isn’t potentially in the future with potentially Ilia Topuria. His championship opportunity is right now for the BMF against Justin Gaethje… A massive part of that is who wants it more… I do get a little bit of concern when I hear Max talking about great opportunities and great shots down the road.”
Although he’s fallen to defeat on three occasions against Volkanovski, Holloway kept his name in the featherweight title conversation last year by recording wins over Arnold Allen and “The Korean Zombie.”
Talk of a fourth clash with the champ remains tentative, but should “El Matador” reach the top step in Anaheim, Max Holloway could well be in line for another chance to regain the crown.
In the mind of Sonnen, however, the Hawaiian would be best placed putting all his attention on Gaethje and what could potentially follow a win on April 13.