Max Holloway is asking UFC fighters to stop misusing the “point down” gesture that turned into his personal brand. Speaking at the UFC 326 pre‑fight press conference, Holloway said he helped spark a viral moment that crossed over beyond hardcore fight fans, but now sees it being copied poorly across the roster.

At the UFC 326 pre-fight press conference, theBMFking Holloway explained:

“It is what it is. I can’t take it back. If they’re just going to keep butchering it, that’s on them. I think that moment transcended the sport and it was amazing. I saw somebody with my shirt on and I was like, ‘Oh, sick shirt,’ and they said, ‘I’m not even an MMA fan.

“I saw this clip and then I saw your shirt in Pakistan and that’s why I bought it.’ That’s how cool that moment was. If guys are looking for that type of moment, keep doing it. Keep trying it. If you’re the best at doing that, who would you say is second best?Justin Gaethje. He’s a nutso. He’s crazy. We’d have to roll it in for sure.”​

The gesture Hollowayis talkingabout started to stand out after he used it in the closing seconds of key fights, most notably his UFC 300 BMF title win over Justin Gaethje, where he pointed to the center of the Octagon and then finished the fight with a last‑second knockout. Holloway has since explained that the point down is meant to invite his opponent into a stand‑and‑swing exchange, not to posture or retreat; his rule is “stay there and swing,” not “point down and take a couple steps back.”

Over time, other fighters began copying the move, but Holloway feels many do not respect the timing or intent behind it. He has talked openly about how the gesture started in a 2016 bout with Ricardo Lamas, when he was already comfortably ahead and decided to invite Lamas to trade in the final 10 seconds. That moment helped define the “point down” as a late‑round, high‑stakes invite to brawl, rather than a mid‑round show of bravado.

Now as he prepares for UFC 326, Holloway is trying to put some guardrails around his own creation. He has laid out that the gesture should come in the last 10 seconds, both fighters should be willing to stand, and the person winning the fight is the one who should be offering the challenge. When others copy it without those conditions, Holloway says it “butchers” the moment he helped build, even if he admits he cannot realistically police every fighter using it.

For fans, the point down has become a cultural shorthand for Holloway’s style: the willingness to risk a loss just to give the crowd a final, wild exchange. His tone at the UFC 326 presser, the underlying message is clear: if you’re going to borrow his look, borrow it right.

At UFC 326, Max Holloway defends his BMF title against former UFC lightweight championCharles Oliveirain a lightweight rematch that picks up unfinished business from their 2015 featherweight meeting. The fight headlines the March 7 card at T‑Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with both fighters ranked near the top of the 155‑pound division and the outcome likely to influence the next title‑fight picture.

Source: LowKickMMA.com