Max Holloway has opened up about passing on high school wrestling for what he now admits was a trivial reason. The featherweight star expressed regret over the decision, saying he should have simply worn the singlet and competed.
Max Holloway has revealed that he turned down the chance to wrestle in high school for a reason he now considers embarrassing in itself: he did not want to wear a singlet.
The featherweight and lightweight contender opened up about the decision in a candid interview, admitting he should have pushed past the discomfort and stepped onto the mat. Holloway said the choice to skip the sport was one he has come to regret.
Holloway, 34, carries a professional record of 27-9 and currently sits fourth in the lightweight rankings and ninth in the pound-for-pound standings. The Hawaiian fighter out of Gracie Technics built his reputation largely on his striking, averaging an exceptional 7.2 significant strikes landed per minute with 48 percent accuracy. His grappling output has always been a smaller part of his game, averaging just 0.24 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career.
Why it matters
- Holloway's self-admitted gap in his wrestling background helps explain why his game has remained so heavily strike-based throughout his career.
- At 34 with a 27-9 record ranked inside the top five at lightweight and top ten pound-for-pound, any added grappling pedigree from his youth could have shaped a different fighter entirely.
- The comments offer a rare honest look at how early decisions influence the trajectory of elite MMA careers.
His reach of 69 inches at a height of 180 cm has served him well in stand-up exchanges, and his willingness to absorb and fire back made him one of the most prolific volume strikers in UFC history. Whether a wrestling background would have added another dimension or simply altered the fighter he became is something Holloway himself seems to wonder about.
