Max Holloway debuted in the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a wet-behind-the-ears 20-year-old, made incremental improvements and blossomed into one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound competitors.
The Gracie Technics standout in 2012 introduced himself to a wider audience as a short-notice replacement at UFC 143, where he submitted to a triangle armbar from a vastly more experienced Dustin Poirier in a little more than three minutes. Holloway’s next five outings saw promising victories over Pat Schilling, Justin Lawrence and Leonard Garcia offset by frustrating losses to Dennis Bermudez and Conor McGregor.