This was an accidental immediate rematch of sorts. After Holloway unified the featherweight title with a 3rd-round TKO over José Aldo, “Blessed” was set to defend the belt against former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. A month before the fight, though, Edgar was forced to withdraw, so The King of Rio got another chance at the Hawaiian. The second fight played pretty closely to the tune of the first as Aldo found success early, but Holloway’s pace, pressure and relentless attack proved too much for the Brazilian midway through the fight.
Rose Namajunas vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk 2
UFC 223 — April 7, 2018
After Rose Namajunas ended Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s long reign as the strawweight queen in dominant fashion, the two did battle once again and put on a sharp display of their skills over the course of 25 minutes. The fight showed Namajunas was anything but a fluke, and Jedrzejczyk, at the very least, provided reassurance that losing her belt wouldn’t be her undoing as an elite fighter.
TJ Dillashaw vs Cody Garbrandt 2
UFC 227 — August 4, 2018
In a rivalry that bad blood fueled as much as any, the second bout between TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt played out pretty similarly as the first. After a measured but intense start, fireworks followed, and Dillashaw proved himself just a bit more precise in the flurries, finding the finishing shot early in the second round once again.
Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway 2
UFC 251 — July 12, 2020
People will debate this one forever, but when Holloway challenged Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight strap on Fight Island, “Blessed” came out like a cannon. Adamant about not getting out-worked as he debatably did in their first matchup, Holloway racked up two knockdowns in the opening couple of rounds to put “The Great” on the back foot. A championship-level adjustment got him back into things, but the bout was close enough to necessitate a trilogy bout two years after this one wrapped.
