UFC 240: The 'Blessed Express' rolls on as Max Holloway dominates Frankie Edgar to retain his title
Hawaiian hero Max "Blessed" Holloway produced another excellent performance to easily outpoint Frankie Edgar on the scorecards and earn a dominant decision victory at UFC 240 in Edmonton, Canada.
Edgar arguably started the fight the better of the pair as he settled into his rhythm and looked to impose his high-energy, high-output approach on the reigning champion.
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But by the middle of the opening round, Holloway had worked out his timing and was connecting cleanly with counter punches and catching the former lightweight world champion as he looked to step inside.
That early success stood Holloway in good stead for the remainder of the fight as he controlled the range, picking off Edgar from distance, then catching him with more solid shots as the New Jersey native looked to work his way into clinching range.
It was a tactic that saw Holloway earn scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47 on the judges' scorecards as he earned a unanimous decision win to continue his remarkable run of form at 145lbs.
After his victory, Holloway told Joe Rogan he was happy to prove the doubters wrong.
"Everybody said I wasn't going to be able to wrestle with this guy. Everybody said I wasn't going to be able to stay with his pace," he said.
"I wanted to prove a point and go five rounds with him so I can let the world know that I'm here to stay, and the 'Blessed Express' is still on the move. Choo choo!
"Frankie is a true warrior. He's the guy who inspired me to be here. You're the man, Frank!"
A clearly distraught Edgar held back his emotions as he paid tribute to Holloway, saying: "I expected everything he brought. Max is a stud, man. He represents our sport to the best, represents this division to the best. He's the best guy in the world."
