Former featherweight champion Max Holloway achieved his first one-punch knockout in his UFC Singapore main event against Chan Sung Jung, after which Jung announced his retirement; Holloway, expressing his long-term goal to recapture the 145-pound title, still has high aspirations for his career and aims to leave a lasting legacy.
Max Holloway is considered one of the most notable UFC fighters due to his impressive dossier of victories, despite something yet to be proven in his fight with Chan Sung Jung, better known as “The Korean Zombie”. Holloway, a former featherweight champion, owns multiple wins over some of MMA’s biggest names along with several awe-inspiring finishes. The audience, however, acquaints him primarily with his “death by a thousand cuts” predatory style, targeting his opponents with a wave of minute strikes. However, he had yet to edge out a competitor with a decisive one-punch knockout until his UFC Singapore main showdown.
The Lahaina, Maui native expressed his desire to have finally proven his ability. He explained this after the fight saying, “I needed a finish. I was due for one. And what better place to do it than where I began my 12-fight win streak before getting the title, right here in Singapore.” Holloway had never previously brought a fight to a conclusion like this before. He added that he felt an additional surge of energy that night in Singapore where he once again demonstrated his striking capacity. The power his people lent him, he explained, was firmly in his right hand. He humorously added, “They call me ‘Pillow Holloway.’ I was like, ‘OK, whatever.’ I guess we had stones in the pillowcase today.”
Despite the fight obviously ending in his favor, Holloway still had nothing but commendation for the way “The Korean Zombie” took him on, in what ended up as Jung’s last fight. Following the conclusion of the main event, Jung made his retirement from the sport official. Holloway expressed his pride in having been Jung’s final adversary saying, “He knew exactly what had to be done…It was a kill or be killed situation, and I was just fortunate to be on top on the other side of it.” He was empathetic about the potential risks had Jung landed a hit earlier, adding that anything could have happened and he might not have been able to take it. He appreciates the Zombie’s legend and contribution to the sport and his fearless approach in the face of potential defeat: “I’m not going to coast through a five-round [fight], I’m going to die on my sword,” Holloway recalls him saying.
The victory was his second consecutive one since he fell to current UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, for the third time. While regaining the 145-pound title from Volkanovski seems impossible, Holloway is not dissuaded. By the time he turns 32 in December, he wants to reclaim the title, defend it repeatedly, possibly climbing up a weight or two in pursuit of more championships. There’s been no indication of an imminent departure from the ringside as he heads back to the gym to prepare for his next fight. He’s built a legacy that will extend beyond his active years in the sport. Holloway identifies with ‘The Korean Zombie’ as a legend that he strives to emulate: a person who has transcended and transformed the sport, and who has made history along the way. He aspires to inspire generations in and outside the sport, aiming to bring about a positive change in people’s lives.