380-pound Hawaiian monster recalls being humbled by Max Holloway in high school

I was about to graduate; you know? And the only class I needed was pre-out, so I went down to the underclassmen… you know, I was pretty much a teacher’s pet. And I came to class high one day, and I was just talking too much and Max Holloway, as small as he was at that time; he told me to ‘shut the hell up’ straight up. We had a few words exchanged, nothing came off of it.. now he is a legend, I’ll take it and I’ll shut up for him.

Layne Viernes via Power slap media day

Verines is on a pathway to greatness, wrecking his competitors with 3 wins in a row. ‘Da Crazy Hawaiian’ is now looking to defend his strap against Russian slap fighter Vasily Kamotsky on October 24th. Meanwhile, Max Holloway also has a big title fight this weekend at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. The 32-year-old star is set to lock horns with featherweight champion Ilia Topuria .

The Spaniard is making thorough preparation at his high-end home gym for his first title defense. Topuria has already registered a notable win over Alexander Volkanvoski earlier in the year, turning him into a UFC star. A statement win this weekend could put him in contention for Fighter of the Year trumping Holloway.

Ilia Topuria says Max Holloway was an enormous influence in his career

The competitive fire may have divided the two mixed martial arts, although it didn’t hide Topuria’s honest feelings about his rival. The 27-year-old clearly chalked out how fighters like Holloway and Volkanovski inspired him to take up MMA. Moreover, he also stated that he had been following his career closely before breaking into the UFC.

Holloway has been in the trenches of UFC for 12 years and continues to compete at the highest level. This is something Topuria got to witness and closely monitor from the outside. Speaking with ESPN MMA, Topuria highlighted that he has perfected his style by basing it on the Hawaiian fighter.

To be honest, I have been a fan for many, many years to be honest. Yeah, I’ve been a fan your entire career, since I start doing my first steps in MMA and yeah, you have been a great example for the new generation, but now it is my time to be that example for the new generation. So, yes, I have been a big fan of you..

Ilia Topuria via ESPN MMA exclusive interview for UFC 308

UFC Icon, Chael Sonnen, also believes the next generation of fighters would be hard to beat. The Spanish native has strung together a 15-fight unbeaten streak that puts him in a unique spot. A victory at UFC 308 could open doorways for super fights, but it seems like the champion wants to add more gold to his collection.