Holloway to fight Pettis at UFC 206 on Dec. 10
Max Holloway has the top-10 opponent he's been looking for.
On Wednesday, the UFC announced that the No. 3-ranked featherweight contender will fight former lightweight champion Anthony "Showtime" Pettis at UFC 206 in Toronto on Dec. 10. Pettis is currently sixth after submitting Charles Oliveira in his debut at 145 pounds this past August.
The booking marks the end of a long, frustrating campaign for Holloway in which he has sought matchups with featherweight champion Conor McGregor and interim champion Jose Aldo. Instead, Holloway finds himself facing Pettis in a fight that is guaranteed to be appointment viewing for fans of dynamic striking.
Holloway is riding a nine-fight winning streak dating back to Aug. 17, 2013. Since losing a unanimous decision to McGregor, "Blessed" has knocked off top-ranked fighters Cub Swanson, Jeremy Stephens, and Ricardo Lamas. He seeks to become just the sixth fighter to win 10 or more consecutive bouts inside the Octagon.
Pettis competes in his fourth fight in 2016, the first time that he's managed to stay that busy in a calendar year since 2010. After dropping his last three fights at 155 pounds, Pettis appears to have found new life at featherweight.
UFC 206 features a main-event rematch between light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.