Bless the reign: What's next for Max Holloway?
Max Holloway joined featherweight legend Jose Aldo and MMA icon Conor McGregor on Saturday as the only men to claim the undisputed title at 145 pounds.
Those are lofty shoes to fill, but "Blessed" got his championship reign off to a memorable start with a third-round TKO victory over Aldo at UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro. It was Holloway's 11th straight win, tying him with Royce Gracie for the fifth best winning streak in company history.
At 25, Holloway has already fought a who's who of featherweight greats, but he has several intriguing options ahead now that he's carrying UFC gold.
Frankie Edgar
This would be an easy one for the matchmakers to book as Edgar is a perennial title contender at both lightweight and featherweight, and he's always been a reliable challenger even if his pay-per-view drawing power leaves a lot to be desired.
The primary obstacle to the New Jersey native receiving a third shot at a featherweight belt was the fact that he has twice dropped five-round unanimous decisions to Aldo, but that became a moot point after the hardware made its way to Holloway's waist.
There's a parade on the streets of Toms River.
— Jeff Wagenheim (@jeffwagenheim) June 4, 2017
Edgar would test Holloway in every aspect of the game and provide another notable name to the Hawaiian's hit list should he pass with flying colors.
Cub Swanson
Swanson wants this one badly and he's already begun campaigning for it.
Other than Aldo, no featherweight has more wins and appearances under the Zuffa banner than "Killer Cub." In a decade of fights split between the UFC and the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion, Swanson has fought everyone from Aldo to Holloway to Edgar and he's rarely failed to deliver an exciting performance, win or lose.
Is Swanson's current four-fight winning streak enough to make him next in line for a title shot? Probably not, but it would be a fitting reward for a fan favorite who has never had the opportunity to compete for a major championship.
Tony Ferguson
Welcome to the "McGregor Era," where winning a UFC title immediately generates talk of how one might fare against elite fighters in other divisions. Holloway is no exception, especially when you consider that he's already battled many of the 145-pound division's top contenders.
Though Holloway has vowed to stay in the division and defend the belt, ESPN's Brett Okamoto suggested he move up for a dream fight with lightweight scrapper Tony Ferguson:
Forgive me. I want Max Holloway vs. Tony Ferguson.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 4, 2017
"El Cucuy" is no stranger to sustained success. His nine-fight UFC winning streak trails only Holloway (11), Demetrious Johnson (12), and Jon Jones (13). It would be a shame to see one of these unbeaten runs end, but if it resulted in an all-time classic war, there probably wouldn't be too many folks complaining.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)