The one marquee featherweight who has eluded Max Holloway during his 13-fight winning streak at 145 pounds is finally on deck.
Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, who beat B.J. Penn three times and ended Penn’s reign as world champion in the UFC, is healthy and ready to go for their July 27 main event fight at UFC 240 in Edmonton, Canada.
The UFC held a summer press conference in Las Vegas on Friday with Holloway and Edgar in attendance.
Holloway (20-4, 16-4 UFC) is coming off his first loss in his past 14 fights, when he challenged for the 155-pound title in April.
Now back at his regular weight of 145, the Waianae native is looking to continue his three-year reign as world champion and avoid his first loss at featherweight since August 2013.
“This guy is a legend. I look forward to (fighting) him,” Holloway said. “We (are) the same person. We’ll fight to the death. I don’t want to fight him to the death. I don’t want him to die. We should probably be friends after the fight. Him and his team is cool.”
This is the third time the two have been scheduled to fight each other. An injury suffered in training by Edgar forced the cancellation of a December 2017 fight and Holloway pulled out of the rescheduled match booked three months later because of an ankle injury.
“The third time is the charm,” Holloway said.
When Holloway pulled out with an injury, Edgar (22-6-1, 17-6-1) took a fight against Brian Ortega rather than wait for Holloway to heal. He was knocked out in the first round — his first stoppage loss in 30 fights — and Ortega went on to get the title shot later that year.
Edgar won a unanimous decision against Cub Swanson last April but hasn’t stepped inside the octagon since waiting to get his shot at the belt.
“I think it’d be the cherry on top,” said Edgar, 37. “What I’ve done in my career kind of speaks for itself. I’m not satisfied. I want to go out as a champion another time and this is the opportunity. I know what’s at stake.”
Edgar has been the main event of 10 UFC cards, but it was his co-main event win over B.J. Penn at UFC 112 that ended Penn’s eight-year undefeated streak at lightweight and earned Edgar his first UFC belt.
As he was in that fight, Edgar will be a heavy underdog against Holloway, who despite his recent loss is ranked No. 5 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
Edgar has waited a long time for this fight and has followed Holloway’s run as champion closely.
“I feel like I’ve been training for Max for two years and every time he fights, I have to switch (the game plan) up because he seems to be getting better,” Edgar said. “This is the most fresh one and that’s the one we’re going with.”
A win would put Edgar on the short list of world champions in multiple weight classes in the UFC.
Holloway hasn’t lost at 145 pounds since a unanimous decision against Conor McGregor.