Max Holloway remains doubtful that Jose Aldo will show up to fight him

Last night, in the main event of UFC 206, Hawaiian contender Max Holloway won the UFC interim featherweight title with a third-round TKO of former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis. This win set the Hawaiian up for a title-unifying showdown with undisputed champ Jose Aldo, who was recently promoted to that role when Conor McGregor was stripped of the title.

In the moments after his defeat of Pettis, Holloway issued a callout of Aldo, challenging the featherweight great to a showdown at UFC 208 this February in Brooklyn. He then encouraged fans to use the hashtag #WheresJoseWaldo on social media, referencing Aldo’s regrettable tendency to pull out of fights.

During his UFC 206 post-fight press conference, Holloway once again touched on Aldo’s tendency to withdraw from fights. Given that he can’t be sure Aldo will show up for a possible UFC 208 bout, he backtracked, saying he’s not sure he wants to give up Christmas and his son’s birthday to train for a fight that might not happen.

“You know, I said it in there, February you know,” Holloway told the media “But when everything was slowing down I was in the back. I was thinking, I already had to give up Thanksgiving for this fight. I had to give up my birthday [December 4]. And it’s hard to fight the guy. Like I said, hashtag-Where’s Jose Waldo? Let me know when you find him, teamwork makes the dream work, and if more of us is looking for him, we’re going to find him together.

“We’ll see what happens. I don’t want to give up my son’s birthday and Christmas for Feb. 11 and he don’t show up. This guy has a knack for not showing up at fights, so we’ll see what happens. I’ve got to talk to Dana White first man. I got a brunch that I want to do, sit down with him and Sean Shelby, sit down and we can talk some business.”

Do you think Holloway and Aldo will fight at UFC 208 this February? Sound off, PENN Nation!