Max Holloway calls UFC 329 the 'event of the year'

Max Holloway is making no secret of his enthusiasm for UFC 329, going on record to declare the July 11 card the event of the year — a designation he placed above even the high-profile Freedom 250 spectacle.

Holloway, nicknamed "Blessed," enters UFC 329 as the fourth-ranked lightweight in the world and ninth on the pound-for-pound rankings. The 34-year-old American, who trains out of Gracie Technics, carries a 27-9 record and has long been regarded as one of the most relentless volume strikers in the sport. Fighting out of an orthodox stance at five-foot-eleven with a 69-inch reach, he lands an exceptional 7.2 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy — numbers that have defined his reputation across multiple divisions.

Why it matters

• Holloway's presence at lightweight, where he holds the number four ranking, keeps him firmly in title contention
• His pound-for-pound status at ninth globally means his performance at UFC 329 carries weight beyond the lightweight division
• A fighter of his standing publicly championing a card signals genuine personal investment in the event's outcome