Max Holloway’s first title defense as undisputed featherweight champion comes against Hawaii’s biggest nemesis in the Octagon. ADVERTISING Max Holloway’s first title defense as undisputed featherweight champion comes against Hawaii’s biggest nemesis in the Octagon. Holloway (18-3, 14-3 UFC), who
Max Holloway’s first title defense as undisputed featherweight champion comes against Hawaii’s biggest nemesis in the Octagon.
Holloway (18-3, 14-3 UFC), who TKO’d Jose Aldo in June to unify the 145-pound world title, will defend the belt against Frankie Edgar in the main event of UFC 218 on Dec. 2 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Holloway, who has won 11 consecutive fights, will compete in his third consecutive main event.
He hasn’t lost since an August 2013 unanimous decision against Conor McGregor and is No. 4 in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Edgar (21-5-1, 16-5-1), who lost a decision to Aldo in July 2016, is 7-2 at 145 pounds.
The former UFC lightweight champion defeated Hilo’s B.J. Penn for the title and owns three wins over Penn in his career.
Edgar beat Penn at the height of his popularity, stopping a nine-fight unbeaten streak at 155 pounds that had lasted for eight years.
Edgar won a disputed unanimous decision over Penn in April 2010, then dominated the rematch four months later.
The two fought again at 145 pounds in 2014, with Edgar destroying Penn in a third-round TKO.
Edgar is 7-1 in his last eight fights, but the one loss was a unanimous decision to Aldo in July 2016. Holloway TKO’d Aldo in the third round 11 months later.
The UFC has also made official for UFC 218 a heavyweight bout between No. 1-ranked Alistair Overeem and No. 4 Francis Ngannou.
Cortney Casey (7-4, 3-3), who lives on Maui, is expected to fight Felice Herrig (13-6) in a women’s 115-pound bout.
