Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway has his sights set on another shot at the promotion’s 145-pound title, but the hugely popular Hawaiian has already earned another accolade to join his growing list of honours.
The UFC announced that Holloway is the latest recipient of the Forrest Griffin Community Award, as part of the UFC Honors President’s Choice category.
The awards are designed to recognise UFC athletes, performances and moments throughout each year, and Holloway’s contributions away from the cage have been recognised through his latest award.
“Max is not only an amazing athlete, but he’s also a great role model who enjoys giving back to his community,” said UFC president Dana White.
“Max does a great job of setting a positive example of how athletes can use their platforms to raise awareness for charities, while helping those who are less fortunate. It’s an honour to present him with this award.”
A press release issued by the UFC laid out the community contributions made by Holloway that earned him the accolade.
In 2020, Max traveled throughout the United States to visit to military bases, children’s hospitals, and meet one-on-one with terminally ill children.
He also partnered with UFC in February to visit Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, the only pediatric children’s hospital in the state of Nevada. During his visit, Holloway provided toys and raised the spirits of the children battling various forms of cancer.
In response to the effect the pandemic had on Hawaii’s tourism, and with statewide unemployment eclipsing 40%, Max joined Hawaii celebrities such as former two-time MLB World Series Champion Shane Victorino, five-time World Surf League Champion Carissa Moore, Season One winner of The Ultimate Surfer Zeke Lau and others, for the ALL4HAWAII Challenge, a digital fundraiser that raised monetary support and global awareness for the Hawaii and Maui Foodbanks.
The challenge inspired many in Hawaii to unite in donation of several one-of-a-kind opportunities, with Max providing a private training session and dinner to the winner of his experience. The challenge was a huge success, raising a total of $50,000 to fight food insecurity across the Hawaiian Islands.
In July, Max raised an additional $21,000 for the Hawaii Foodbank by auctioning off his fight-worn UFC Fight Kit from UFC 251, which took place on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Holloway continued to serve as a global ambassador for the Hawaii Foodbank during the remainder of the year by continuing to raise awareness and funds to help provide meals for those in need. In July, he launched his own e-commerce platform, www.shopmaxholloway.com, with a percentage of post-fight merchandise sales being donated to the Hawaii Foodbank.
To date, funds raised from campaigns led by Max have provided more than 200,000 meals to Hawaiian families in need.
In 2021, Max has continued to stay active in his local community while also supporting additional charitable campaigns. In April, he was invited by the NFL to join the 2021 NFL Draft-a-Thon, a three-day virtual fundraiser that raised $600,000 to support Feeding America, Mental Health America, The CDC Foundation and The Education Trust.
An active gamer, Max also hosts his own stream on Facebook Gaming, where he plays and reviews games while also driving awareness for food insecurity and mental health issues while interacting with his fans.
Holloway will be presented with his award at the 2022 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which will form part of next year’s UFC International Fight Week. The event will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass. He will also receive a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice, courtesy of Toyo Tires.
Holloway returns to action in the main event of UFC Fight Night 197, where he will take on the returning Yair Rodriguez in a five-round featherweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
