Max Holloway happy to dispel “Pillow Holloway” nickname with KO win over The Korean Zombie: “I guess I had stone in the pillowcase today”

By Fernando Quiles - August 27, 2023

Max Holloway debunked the narrative that he lacks punching power and he’s happy to let everyone know it.

Max Holloway

The former UFC Featherweight Champion went one-on-one with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. The bout headlined a UFC Singapore event on August 26. This was Jung’s swan song, as he retired after the fight. Jung went out on his shield, as Holloway scored a one-punch knockout win in the third round.

RELATED: MAX HOLLOWAY EXPLAINS WHY HE DIDN’T CALL OUT ALEX VOLKANOVSKI FOLLOWING KO WIN OVER THE KOREAN ZOMBIE AT UFC SINGAPORE

Max “Hands Of Stone” Holloway

During the UFC Singapore post-fight press conference, Max Holloway admitted that the previous finishing drought was on his mind. Prior to the win over Jung, Holloway hadn’t scored a finish since late 2018. This one was particularly sweet because it poured cold water on a nickname he had been given (h/t MMAFighting.com).

“I needed a finish,” Holloway said. “I was due for one. What better place to do it [than where I started] my 12-fight win streak before I got the title, here in Singapore. This was my first ever walkoff KO. It was amazing. Something was in the air.

“The people of Lahaina, Maui, they gave me their power in my right hand. They call me ‘Pillow Holloway.’ I was like, ‘OK, whatever.’ I guess we had stones in the pillowcase today. It was good.”

Holloway is in a tough spot at 145 pounds. “Blessed” is clearly the second best UFC featherweight. He held the number one spot before running into Alexander Volkanovski. Holloway is 0-3 against “The Great,” yet continues to be a step above everyone else in the weight class. Many believe the best case scenario for Holloway is if Volkanovski loses the featherweight championship to another contender, such as Ilia Topuria, or if “The Great” decides to move up to lightweight.


Topics:

Max Holloway UFC