If you’re Max Holloway, it has got to sting that you haven’t had a chance to fight in your hometown of Hawaii. ‘Blessed’ has fought in enemy territory quite a few times in his career. He fought Jose Aldo at UFC 212 in Brazil,  Chan Sung Jung, aka ‘The Korean Zombie‘, in Singapore, and earlier this year, Dustin Poirier, at UFC 318 in Louisiana. He beat these legends in front of their home crowds and won them over. And it seems like he will have to content with those victories, even with the Hawaii governor’s promise to bring the UFC to The Aloha State.

According to Governor Josh Green, Dana White‘s promotion could make its way to Hawaii, but not until 2029. However, BMF champion Max Holloway believes that is a big stretch, and has asked fans to stop hoping that this wish will be true anytime soon. According to Holloway, his homeland doesn’t have the proper resources to host a UFC event.

No chance of UFC coming to Hawaii, says Max Holloway

Hawaii has been through a lot lately. From the Maui wildfires to the eruption of the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island, it hasn’t been easy for the people in the Paradise of the Pacific. A big old combat sports event would surely rejuvenate and lift the spirit of the people, but Max Holloway claims that the Governor has a lot of work to do to make sure they build the correct infrastructure to host a big-budget UFC event. And that’s going to take time. “No, it’s not going to happen in Hawaii, bro. Hawaii ain’t never going to have a fight, though,” ‘Blessed’ said during a recent live stream.

“We all got to get over that, bro. Chances of Hawaii having a fight with me on it is f—ing zero, boys. I’m sorry. I am so sorry, but this is what it is. This is the honest truth, though. We don’t have a stadium to hold it,” Holloway further stated. “And even if it is, they have to start building now, which is going to take years already, a couple of years. And that’s not counting if they run into problems. It’s overcooked. Cooked on that, boys.”

If problems at home weren’t enough, there is always the financial aspect from the promotion’s side. There is a chance that Dana White and Co. may not find it financially lucrative to hold an event in Hawaii. “You’ve got to accept it. I come to terms with that one. It makes no sense. UFC’s in the business of making money, bro. And coming down here with the taxes and everything… They need some help from the state, and it just is hard for them to meet at the middle, I guess,” the BMF champion added.

Despite the claims of Max Holloway, Governor Green remains adamant that he wants to “bring UFC to Hawaii. We’ve also talked to some of the benefactors of the UFC to do that,” confessing it on television. But just over two years ago, Dana White revealed his side of the story about the issues surrounding a UFC Hawaii event.

Dana White’s comments from 2023 about a UFC event in Hawaii

With the PFL making its debut in Africa this year, Dana White and Co. have also mentioned plans for an expansion into Africa. But when it comes to Hawaii, the CEO claims that holding an event is easier in almost every other region in the world than on the North Pacific island.

“If you think back to the days with me and the Fertitta brothers, we always wanted to do an event in Hawaii … Everybody wants to do the fight in Hawaii,” Dana White said post UFC Kansas City 2023. “We could just never get a deal done in Hawaii. I don’t see it happening. And you hear me, man. We’re going to Africa, we’re going to places people would never imagine. But we can’t get Hawaii done.”

Well, the leader of the island state wants to bring them, so it will be interesting to see how he goes about that endeavor. If it happens before the 33-year-old Max Holloway retires, it would certainly be a historic treat for the fans in his homeland. But do you think it’s possible for a UFC Hawaii event to materialize? Drop your comments below.