Michael Bisping Believes Max Holloway Legitimizes The Featherweight Division

Max Holloway became the undisputed UFC Featherweight Champion when he defeated Jose Aldo in the main event of UFC 212.

According to UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping, the win for Holloway has now added a level of legitimacy to the featherweight division.

“Now, fortunately, Max Holloway went out there and destroyed him,” said Bisping on Believe You Me. “Great fight, very, very entertaining fight. Well done. So now we have, I think it’s fair to say, a legitimate champion that nobody can disparage or take away from because yes, he got beat by Conor but that was three or four years ago now and Max is a different fighter today. So 145 has a solidified, definite, undisputed featherweight champion of the world which I think is great for the division.”

Holloway is only one of three fighters to hold the UFC Featherweight Title, the other two being Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor.

Bisping also never believed in Aldo again following the 13 second knockout loss to McGregor.

“I think it’s fantastic that Max Holloway won and I think he had to win to put life back into the 145 [pound] division,” said Bisping. “Because honestly, Jose Aldo is a great fighter, Jose Aldo had an amazing career, Jose Aldo this, Jose Aldo that, all this f**king good stuff is so positive – I was not for one second buying Jose Aldo as the featherweight champion. I’m sorry but he got knocked the eff out in 13 seconds and then in his next fight he fights Frankie Edgar and all of the sudden he’s the champion again. So for me, I never bought into that. On the other side, we had Max Holloway on a 10-fight win streak, getting better and better with every fight. The whole interim title fight at UFC 206 against Anthony Pettis, that was a little weak sauce so to speak but still, he beat him. Then he fights the undisputed champion which is bullshit because he’s not the undisputed champion because he just got knocked out in his fight previous.”

The middleweight champion is currently out himself with a knee injury, but he is expected to compete again by the end of the year.