Max Holloway (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

Although Max Holloway believes he could have made weight for a bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223, the featherweight champ admits he’s not sure he could have done so safely.

Holloway agreed to fight Nurmagomedov on just six days notice, when Tony Ferguson injured his knee, just over one week out from UFC 223. On Friday, however, the New York Commission decided Holloway was medically unfit to compete, as he attempted to make weight.

The Hawaiian star appeared on “The MMA Hour” recently, and Holloway said he was “huge”, when he received the call to fight Nurmagomedov. In addition, the champion said this (quote via MMA Fighting):

“I think I would have [made weight]. I don’t know about safely, it’s a weight cut, but I had the game for doing it. We were doing it with [George] Lockhart. I have the utmost respect for Lockhart and Tyler Minton. This week they gave me their all. I got nothing but love for them and my coaches.

“On six days I got the fight. Eight hours later, me and my coaches are on an airplane to New York. You find out who your real ones are this week and it was a good one.”

Holloway also said that the was a bit under 159 pounds, when the Commission decided to pull him from the bout. Holloway is expected to fight #1 contender, Brian Ortega, sometime later this year.