The point is: there isn’t much to take from that fight into this fight, and they’re focused on their upcoming matchup in Atlanta.
By moving up though, it begs the question about what Holloway plans to do at featherweight. Currently, he says his plan is to bounce up and down between the divisions as long as the matchup intrigues him. If everything goes well for him on April 13, defending both belts isn’t out of the question, but what he doesn’t want to do is hold up the featherweight division in the meantime.
“Frankie (Edgar) and Jose (Aldo), they don’t deserve that,” he said. “They don’t deserve an inactive champ, and (we) even got some new contenders coming up, and they don’t deserve that. If I got to vacate, I got to vacate, but if I can defend both, you know I’m going to defend both.”
The fight will be Holloway’s first in Atlanta, though he spent time in the city while filming Den of Thieves. He remembers the city fondly, saying they have “some bomb grits” while also adding his excitement to get out of the hotel and try more of what Atlanta has to offer in terms of food.
During UFC 231, Holloway adopted Toronto as the “10th Island” (Hawaii has eight islands, and Las Vegas is often referred to as the “9th Island”). He didn’t say whether he plans to make Atlanta the “11th Island,” but he did admit that it sounded like a fun idea to “keep racking them up.”
Either way, the fight with Poirier is dripping with narratives. From extending his winning streak to avenging his debut loss to adding even more talent into the shark tank that is the lightweight division, Holloway is well-positioned to add to his already-stacked resume.
“I want to be the best ever,” he said. “By being the best ever, I’m not going to talk my way into there. I’m going to fight, and I’m going to prove (it) to people.”
Zac Pacleb is a writer and producer for UFC.com. You can follow him on Twitter @ZacPacleb.
