Max Holloway is looking to defend his featherweight title at UFC 240 against Frankie Edgar. Although the former lightweight champion is only coming off of one win against Cub Swanson back in April, he is still getting the title shot.

Many expected Alex Volkanovski to get the next crack at the Hawaiian but Holloway believes Edgar deserved it more.

“Frankie is Frankie, man,” Holloway said during the media luncheon. “If you don’t give this guy the respect that he deserves, he did something that was unthinkable in a division higher than us when he was a much smaller dude, and I can’t wait. These are the fights that excite me. The man’s a legend, the man’s a legend, and if he’s not a Hall of Famer, a future Hall of Famer, then he’s definitely a Hall of Famer in my eyes at least, and I’ve got nothing but respect for him.”

The two have been booked to fight two times in the past, so it is a fight that Max Holloway wanted to happen. He also believes that Edgar is more of a threat now than last summer as he had a chance to see his past fights and adjust his game plan, while Holloway could not.

“So the feeling that you want someone and this, that, and you game plan for that one other thing, he’s only had one fight in between the fights we (were scheduled for),” Holloway said. “And he saw my two fights, and he got to see the different films and strategize and whatever, but it’s just different.”