Live blog, play-by-play updates, and results for the UFC 240 main event fight between Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar.
Max Holloway makes his return to the featherweight division after an unsuccessful debut at lightweight in April. Already the UFC featherweight champion, Holloway attempted to add a second title to his collection by sliding up to 155-pounds and challenging Dustin Poirier for the UFC Interim Lightweight Championship. After losing a unanimous decision to Poirier, he’ll now come back down to defend his featherweight title.
At UFC 240, Frankie Edgar gets another shot at the UFC Featherweight Championship. The former UFC lightweight champion is coming off a win against Cub Swanson at UFC Fight Night 128 in April last year.
Read on for our UFC 240 play-by-play updates and results for Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar.
Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar play-by-play
Round one
Holloway and Edgar touch gloves and wait for the fight to commence. It’s on. Height advantage here immediately apparent as Holloway is much taller than Edgar. Edgar feinting and moving his head consistently. Holloway staying back and trying to get a read on Edgar’s movements. Edgar throws a right and left hook combination but misses Looks dangerous at close range, though, and Holloway will need to keep him away. Holloway now feinting with jabs and trying to create some openings. Nice uppercut comes through for Holloway. At the least, that will help to deter Edgar from ducking his head into takedown attempts. Holloway doing a good job of controlling the distance of the fight. Attempts another uppercut; he’s showing that technique to Edgar over and over. Edgar having a hard time getting close to Holloway now. He lands a right hand on Holloway. Clean right hand lands on the jaw of Edgar. Now Holloway’s working the body. Boxing skills are on display here for the champion. Typical round one pace for Holloway in this fight, expect him to build up in the following rounds, as per usual. A heavy leg kick lands for Edgar. Edgar’s landing his shots and does look dangerous. Holloway’s uppercut has been on point, he snaps Edgar’s head up and back with another. Edgar goes to the lead leg of Holloway again with a kick. Holloway throws out some punches before going upstairs with a kick that misses.
A close round but Holloway landed the harder shots. We’ll give it to Holloway.
The Body Lock scores round one for Max Holloway: 10-9
Round two
Holloway trying to open up now. He’s working behind lead-hand feints before ripping the body or coming high with a right hand. Edgar’s touching the gloves of Holloway and trying to disrupt his flow. Holloway lands a crisp right hand to Edgar’s jaw as the two angle-out at close range. Edgar takedown attempt pushes Holloway back to the cage. Great balance by the champion and they reset. Both fighters are landing punches when they exchange in the pocket. Holloway really trying to loop around the guard of Edgar with his left hook. That’s helping to set up the right hand. Edgar front kick falls short. Holloway goes back to the body. Holloway’s use of the pivot has been exceptional in this fight again. That technique helps him create new angles and separate from Edgar. Holloway staying crouched down to help him keep the distance with his punches and also prepare for incoming takedowns. He lands a solid right hand. Now works behind the jab. Holloway has been reading Edgar’s body and high kicks well. The low kick has been working well, though. High success rate for Edgar’s leg kicks in this fight. Holloway beginning to lift the pace. Spinning back kick to the body helps finish the round strong for Holloway.
The Body Lock scores round two for Max Holloway: 10-9 (now 20-18)
Round three
Holloway jabs and Edgar moves into a single-leg attempt. Looks strong but Holloway maintains his balance and evades the attempt. Now they reset in the middle. Edgar’s had trouble chaining his takedown attempts together because Holloway has separated quickly. Holloway controlling the flow of the fight. Left hook lands for Holloway but a right hook for Edgar comes over the top. Edgar really needs a takedown here to start shaking things up, otherwise, Holloway is likely to run away with a decision. They tie up at close range and Holloway slides away again. The champion isn’t attempting many strikes in this round and therefore hasn’t landed many, either. But still, he looks comfortable working the jab and keeping Edgar busy. Spinning back fist attempt by Edgar falls short. Holloway now stalking Edgar and staying as close to punching range as possible. He works Edgar over in the clinch after a failed takedown attempt. Rips into the body with a knee and then tags him with a strike as they separate. Holloway now starting to lift the pace. He comes forward and becomes more aggressive than ever before in this fight but that allows Edgar to secure a takedown against the cage. Not long left in the round but Edgar has top position. Holloway uses butterfly guard to lift Edgar up and then returns to his feet.
Edgar’s first takedown had no impact. He wasn’t able to land any strikes. Holloway turned it on in the final few minutes of the round and landed the heaviest shots of the round.
The Body Lock scores the round for Max Holloway (10-9) (now 30-27)
Round four
Edgar’s takedown has helped change the momentum of this fight. It slows down again and Holloway’s clearly more careful to start round four. Edgar’s landing some hard shots. A right hand comes over the top of Holloway’s left shoulder. Holloway is yet to land anything really damaging in this round so far and we’re two minutes in. The champion still working the jab but it’s not with any impact, it’s more to set up his other strikes that have yet to come in the first few minutes of round four. Another failed takedown attempt by Edgar. Edgar’s round so far as Holloway has done very little. Kicks and punches from Edgar are blocked by Holloway. High kick for Holloway misses. Edgar with a flurry of punches at close range. One minute remaining in the round and Edgar lands two more hard shots. Holloway’s jab is landing, but he’s yet to connect with any more meaningful strikes so far in this round. Now he comes forward with a right hand. Another combination. And then again. He’s landing big hooks now. He wants to throw down with Edgar but Edgar returns to the takedown. Holloway defends against the cage and separates.
That was Edgar’s best round so far, but mostly because Holloway took the round off.
The Body Lock scores that round for Frankie Edgar: 10-9 (now 39-37)
Round five
Snappy right hand connects for Holloway. Another leg kick by Edgar. Edgar needs to turn it on if he wants to win. He goes after a single-leg takedown but Holloway’s defense and balance has been superb all night long. Edgar seems to be trying to lift his output but Holloway is sliding out of range comfortably. Now working behind the jab, the champion is repeatedly tagging Edgar’s face with straight punches. Holloway appears to be building up his pace again. The leg kick connects again. Holloway’s jab is the story of this round so far. Lands it twice in succession and Edgar has no answer for it. Takedown attempt leads to Holloway sprawling and defending. He stands. Edgar rushes forward behind straight punches but they come up short. Holloway is calmly working his jab. He sneaks in a big right hand. Another jab after an Edgar leg kick. As Edgar opens up, Holloway slides back and then returns with some punches. Thirty seconds remain in the last round and Edgar needs a miracle. Holloway misses with a punch and Edgar moves to his back. They step back and finish with some punches. That’s it.
The Body Lock scores round five for Max Holloway: 10-9 (now 49-46)
Comfortable win for Max Holloway. Rarely troubled. Wasn’t required to really turn it on at any stage. When he did in round three, however, it led to an Edgar takedown. Masterful boxing and exceptional takedown defense helped him to an easy decision win at UFC 240.
Official Result: Max Holloway def. Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 48-47)