Max Holloway excited for future UFC challenges after Brian Ortega and Josh Emmett’s big wins

Before he became the king of the Featherweight division, Max Holloway had to pay his dues and come up through the ranks of a very tough Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 145-pound weight class.

So he knows just what it takes to get to the top, which is why he won’t look down on or overlook the contenders currently coming up through the ranks, specifically Brian Ortega and Josh Emmett.

In fact, “Blessed” had nothing but praise for Ortega and Emmett after their big wins over Cub Swanson and Ricardo Lamas, respectively (highlights).

“I was impressed by the two wins by those guys – of course,” Holloway told MMAjunkie. “Ortega finishes Cub – that’s impressive stuff. It’s always impressive when you finish someone. Finishing anybody in the top 10, even the top five when we’re talking about those two guys, is amazing. We’re the best fighters in the world and you get to finish them, that’s always cool to see.”

Out of the two, Ortega is closer to a shot at the title than Emmett, but “T-City” isn’t in a hurry to get there, as he revealed during his post-fight speech he wouldn’t be mad in Frankie Edgar got next dibs against Holloway. But if and when Ortega and Holloway collided inside the cage, “Blessed” will be more than up for it.

“Me and Ortega are two young kids, so it should be fun whenever that happens,” Holloway said. “Josh Emmett came in and was able to shake it up real quick. I’m excited for the future. A lot of people are saying that one of those guys are going to give me a run. I can’t wait. I’m glad and I’m looking forward to the challenges. All these guys are cupcakes and there’s some new flavors, and I want my taste of them.”

Edgar is expected to get the next title shot against Holloway after he lost his chance at UFC 218 due to an injury, which paved the way for Holloway to defeat Jose Aldo for the second straight time.

Still, Max can’t help but to be a little giddy at the prospective matches against some new blood that await him down the road. Which one are you most excited for?