Holloway targets Makhachev's manager after two-belt dispute
Max Holloway escalated a social media dispute with Islam Makhachev by accusing the champion's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, of posting a mocking comment on Makhachev's behalf. The conflict began after Makhachev defended his UFC welterweight title at UFC 330 on August 15, 2026, and posed with both his welterweight and lightweight belts. Holloway criticized the display as unnecessary 'aura,' prompting a reply from Makhachev's account claiming the belts were too heavy to hold. Holloway responded on a livestream, asserting that Makhachev did not write the comment and that Abdelaziz was 'hiding behind' the fighter's Instagram. He flexed his own collection of UFC and BMF belts to prove he understands their weight, warning the manager not to 'come for his throat.'