Imagine a fighter, fresh off a brutal knockout, calling out one of the most dominant champions in the sport. Sounds absurd, right? But that’s exactly what happened when Jean Silva challenged Max Holloway for the BMF title at the upcoming UFC White House event. And Holloway’s reaction? Let’s just say he didn’t hold back.
Mike Heck, a seasoned combat sports journalist since 2015 and host of BTL and watch parties, brings us the scoop. Earlier this month, Silva expressed his dream of facing Holloway at the June event. However, the timing couldn’t be more questionable. Holloway recently secured a decisive win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 in July, while Silva suffered a stoppage loss to Diego Lopes in the main event of Noche UFC in September.
During a Kick stream, a fan asked Holloway his thoughts on Silva’s callout. His response was nothing short of jaw-dropping. “Is he smoking drugs? Holy f*ck,” Holloway exclaimed, clearly baffled. “Did he not see what Diego Lopes just did to him? This guy’s got to be trolling us, bro. … That motherf*cker’s still concussed, bro.” Holloway’s blunt assessment left no room for ambiguity: “Whatever he’s saying, we’re not going to take it serious. Dude, stay concussed, bro.”
But here’s where it gets controversial: Just days after Silva’s comments, Charles Oliveira threw his hat into the ring, challenging Holloway to a BMF title rematch. This comes after Oliveira’s second-round submission of Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio. Their first bout in Saskatoon, Canada, ended abruptly in just 99 seconds due to a bizarre injury Oliveira sustained. Is Oliveira’s challenge more legitimate than Silva’s, or is he also biting off more than he can chew?
Holloway, for his part, seems open to the idea of a rematch with Oliveira, but he’s not keen on waiting until June. “The White House card is just so far away,” he said. “It’s like a year, boys. I don’t know if I want to wait that long, but we’ll see what happens.” He added, “Never say never. It’s so far away. If we take that fight, it’s almost going to be a year I’m out of competition if the fight happens on the White House card.”
And this is the part most people miss: With Silva’s callout dismissed and Oliveira’s challenge on the table, who deserves the next shot at Holloway’s title? Is Silva’s ambition admirable or delusional? And is Oliveira’s rematch the smarter move for Holloway? Let’s spark some debate—what do you think? Sound off in the comments!
