Max Holloway, trying to shake off a controversy ahead of UFC 308, clarified remarks he made regarding his upcoming opponent, featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.

In a recent interview ahead of the Saturday main event at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Holloway jumped in as Topuria was talking and told him, “Speak.”

On Tuesday, Holloway stated that he wasn’t insulting English-speaking abilities of Topuria, a Germany-born fighter who represents the nation of Georgia.

Holloway told MMAfighting.com, “I need to clear this up. A lot of people was giving me heat for teasing him how he spoke English. I wasn’t teasing that he was speaking English. I know he speaks like five languages. I speak one language and I have a hard time speaking English. I have a hard time saying names. I understand how hard speaking one language is. I wasn’t teasing his language.

“What I was teasing was that he sounded so scripted and then every time he went off of his scripted words, he started mumbling or he would say, ‘Shut the (expletive) up, (expletive).’ I’m like, ‘Brother, you’re so scripted right now.’ That’s why I teased him. I’m like, ‘Speak. Stop using your scripted lines.'”

Holloway, a 32-year-old Honolulu native, is trying to regain the featherweight title he won in 2017 against Jose Aldo and lost in 2019 to (Alexander) Volkanovski. In 2020 and 2022, Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) lost again to Volkanovski in title bouts.

Topuria (15-0, 7-0) knocked out Volkanovski in February at UFC 298 to take the featherweight title.

“It would mean a lot, especially with the way my career went,” Holloway said of regaining the championship. “After that third fight with Volkanovski, a lot of people were saying I should change weight classes or altogether I should just retire because it’s never, ever going to happen.

“I guess a couple of years later we’re here and we’re days away and we get to find out who has the last laugh Oct. 26. I can’t wait for the opportunity.”

–Field Level Media