Max Holloway still doesn’t consider himself the greatest featherweight of all time

Shortly after UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway defended his title with a emphatic stoppage defeat of Brian Ortega, UFC President Dana White praised him as one of “the all-time greats.”

“It’s impossible not to talk about him among the all-time greats,” White said of Holloway post-fight.

Yet Max Holloway is not ready to call himself the greatest featherweight of all time. In his opinion, that distinction still belongs to the former champ Jose Aldo, who he has bested twice previously.

“I still believe the greatest featherweight of all time is Jose Aldo,” Holloway said at the UFC 231 post-fight press conference (transcript via Sherdog). “When I’m 30 or 31 or his age then you ask me if I’m the greatest featherweight of all-time if I’m still here.”

While Max Holloway believes he has some more work to do before he can be called the greatest featherweight in MMA history, he believes he’s on the right track to take that distinction from Jose Aldo.

“I’ve got to just keep winning, keep doing my job and keep winning fights and let you guys keep talking about it,” Holloway said. “Personally, for me, I think Jose still is. I’m chasing him. He set the bar, and I’m still chasing that bar, and I’ve got to break it. People are saying this is a new era. I guess I’m setting the bar for the new era. When ‘The Blessed Era’ is here, ‘The Blessed Era’ is going to be in full effect.”

At the end of the day, the champ’s goal is to not only be considered the best featherweight in MMA history, but the best fighter in any weight class. He’s willing to do anything to achieve that goal — even fight UFC heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier.

“At the end of the day I just want to be the pound-for-pound No. 1,” Holloway said. “I’m the champion, and I keep defending my belt, I’ll be No. 1. If it’s up a weight class, it’s up. If it’s defending my throne. If I get to fight one of my good friends, ‘The Daddest Man on the Plant’ [Daniel Cormier] for that title, bring it on Kung Fu Panda. I’ve got you, ‘DC.’ I can see him very soon.”

Do you consider Max Holloway the best featherweight in MMA history?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 12/9/2018.