What's new at Ludus Martial Arts

We’re so proud of our team! Find out how they’ve been doing, as well as what else has been going on at our gym lately.

Max Holloway after UFC 218 title defense vs. Jose Aldo: ‘This is what kings do … defend their thrones’


Filed under: Featured, News, Radio Highlight, UFC, Videos

Backstage at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, as he prepared for Jose Aldo in his first title defense, UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway was calm, cool and collected.

Sounds like the ideal scenario, doesn’t it? Except for the fact that Holloway admits he’s usually on edge before he steps inside the octagon. But this time at UFC 218, before the first fight of the “Blessed Era,” things were different, as he explained Tuesday on MMAjunkie Radio.

“I was kind of nervous how relaxed I was,” Holloway said.

For Holloway, who just turned 26 on Monday, the feeling is part of getting comfortable with who he is as a fighter – and now as a champion. That showed in the pay-per-view headliner over the weekend, with Holloway scoring a second TKO win over Aldo to retain the 145-pound gold he claimed six months earlier from the former champ.

Consider these facts: Holloway extended his career-high winning streak to 12 fights, and he hasn’t lost since August 2013. Holloway became the youngest fighter in UFC history to earn 15 wins with the promotion.

And Holloway’s 12-fight winning streak is the fifth longest in UFC history behind Anderson Silva (16), Jon Jones (13), Demetrious Johnson (13), and Georges St-Pierre (13). Yes, those are the names Holloway is now among.

“It’s great to restore order back into the division,” Holloway said. “This is what kings do. Kings defend their thrones, and I’m glad I was able to defend mine.”

And he did it against a better version of Aldo than in their first fight, but that’s what Holloway was expecting all along.

“Before the fight, they released an article on (Aldo) talking about his motivation for the fight, and the motivation was his daughter. The daughter watched the last fight and so on, and he didn’t want to leave the bitter taste of that last fight in is daughter’s mouth,” Holloway said. “When I read that, I knew I was getting the best Jose Aldo. He was motivated.”

And as Holloway did following their first fight, he continued to show Aldo respect by heaping praise on the man who ruled the division for a decade.

“That guy shouldn’t worry. He should not worry,” Holloway said. “He doesn’t owe anybody anything. He’s the greatest of all time in my book. I believe Rio, Brazil should be celebrating him. In all the favelas, they should be making statues of the man. The man is a living, walking legend.”

To hear more from Holloway, check out the video above.

For complete coverage of UFC 218, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.


Filed under: Featured, News, Radio Highlight, UFC, Videos

UFC free fight: Charles Oliveira rallies to light up Michael Chandler for first title win

Charles Oliveira proved he had championship mettle when he battled through some early adversity against Michael Chandler. Oliveira faced Chandler for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 262 in May 2021. It took “Do Bronx” 28 octagon appearances to earn his first-career title shot. Round...

Javier Mendez disagrees with Daniel Cormier’s claim that Islam Makhachev more dangerous than Khabib Nurmagomedov

For Javier Mendez, Islam Makhachev is more skilled than Khabib Nurmagomedov but not more dangerous. Daniel Cormier, who also trained under Mendez at American Kickboxing Academy, said UFC lightweight champion Makhachev is even more dangerous than former champ Nurmagomedov was during his prime. Mendez heavily disagrees. “OK, he’s more...

come and try a ludus mma class free!

We want to make sure that Ludus MMA is the right fit for you before asking you to commit to a membership.
That’s why we’d like to offer you a FREE ONE-DAY PASS to our gym.

With your FREE PASS, you can:

  • Try as many classes as you’d like,
  • Explore the facility
  • Talk to our coaches one-on-one about what you can expect as a member

© Copyright 2024 - Ludus Martial Arts - 730 Beach Blvd, Unit 105, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250.

(904) 374-4186 / ludusmartialarts@gmail.com