What's next for Max Holloway:

The Hawaii hero after his UFC 212 triumph over José Aldo.

Travelling to hostile territory in the form of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Hawaii favourite Max 'Blessed' Holloway set out to unify the Featherweight title, as he faced arguably the greatest Featherweight in MMA history, José Aldo. The Interim champ started slow, with Aldo countering well with a quick jab which seen him steal the first two rounds. The tide changed drastically in the third, as a big right hand from Holloway dropped Aldo, with the Brazilian in deep water. Transitioning from mount to the back, 'Blessed' pounded the Manaus favourite, eventually forcing referee 'Big' John McCarthy to step in and save Aldo with just under a minute left in the third round, thus crowing Holloway the undisputed UFC Featherweight king. So, what's next for Max Holloway?

First defence against Frankie Edgar: This bout makes the most sense for the future of the 145lbs divison, particularly with Edgar's most recent domination of young contender Yair Rodríguez. Edgar faced Aldo for the Interim crown at UFC 200, but was once more unsuccessful against the Brazilian, but overcame heavy hitter Jeremy Stephens at UFC 205, and with his decimation of 'El Pantera', he has surely earned another crack at Featherweight gold. This matchup poses many questions, can Edgar get the takedown or can, 'The Answer' deal with the striking of 'Blessed'?

Rematch with Cub Swanson: Another top contender vying for a title tilt is long time competitor, 'Killer' Cub Swanson. Both Holloway and Swanson have met before, with the Hawaii gold holder securing a guillotine finish, but since then, the Palm Springs striker has built up four consecutive wins. A black belt in both Judo and BJJ, Swanson is also a crazy good boxer, with legit power, evident from his 2016 fight of the year against Doo Ho Choi. Swanson's most recent octagon appearance came agaisnt slugger Artem Lobov, so maybe a bout with someone like Ricardo Lamas would be enough to earn him a title shot, especially with the recent injury to Chan Sung Jung.

Conor McGregor superfight: This occurance isn't as unlikely as you may think, and it may even see former foe McGregor return to 145lbs or Holloway move up to 155lbs, with gold on the line from either party. McGregor told how he just wasn't "excited" when it came to his formerly owned Featherweight divison, but with the prospect of revenge for Holloway, and reclaiming a previous title for McGregor, this one may be on the horizon. The only real disadvantage to this bout would be the further holding up of the Lightweight divison, and it most likely will have to wait until boxing business with Floyd Mayweather Jr. is delt with. Holloway and McGregor have of course face before, namely in 2013, with McGregor winning a unanimous decision, despite a torn ACL. Both men have since improved no end so a rematch at this stage of their so far illustrious careers, makes a lot of sense.

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