Max Holloway changed his nickname that was homage to UFC legend after stranger pointed out contradiction

Max Holloway realized he was ‘Blessed’ after a bizarre conversation with a stranger immediately after one of his fights.

This coming Saturday, Max Holloway will benefit from the biggest payday of his entire career when he welcomes Conor McGregor back to the Octagon in the UFC 329 main event.

The two first met 13 years ago at what was the beginning of ‘The Notorious’ Irishman’s career in the promotion, when he went on to beat Holloway via decision.

And although the Hawaiian has been known as ‘Blessed’ throughout the entirety of his UFC career, that hasn’t always been the nickname he has donned.

Holloway dropped ‘Lil Evil’ nickname after bizarre interaction with stranger

The 34-year-old’s career almost came full circle earlier this year when he was announced as the cover star for the new UFC game, as early in his career, he used to use the game as a way of practicing his combinations.

And back when the Hawaiian was doing that, he wasn’t known as ‘Blessed’, he was in fact known as ‘Lil Evil’.

After watching UFC legend Jens Pulver compete and falling in love with his style of fighting, Holloway’s coach gave him the nickname in homage to Pulver.

But after picking up a win early in his career, a strange interaction with a stranger led to him changing his moniker to ‘Blessed’.

“I was ‘Little Evil’ but I remember after one of my professional fights I think it was my fourth one, some random guy came up to me and told me, ‘Bro, you guys are like God’s army, I know you guys are saying the word but why ‘Little Evil’?’,” Holloway said during a podcast appearance years ago.

In Holloway’s fourth professional fight, he fought Eddie Rincon on the Hawaii regional circuit, which was the fight that earned him a shot in the UFC.

“And then the guy just left. After he said that he just left without me even answering and I never saw that guy again in my life, I don’t even know who the guy was.

“Then I remember telling my coach and then I was like, ‘I don’t know if I like this ‘Little Evil’ anymore’. Like yeah, we were all repping the Lord and stuff and he was like, ‘You can’t let these guys come in and try to change your thoughts’, I was like, ‘It kind of makes sense though’.”

From there, Holloway took the nickname ‘Blessed’ which has befitted him throughout his entire career in the premier promotion.

And with his clash against ‘The Notorious’ Irishman this coming Saturday, Holloway will be hoping to remind fans once again that the best is most certainly ‘Blessed’.