Former UFC Champion Max Holloway is distraught over the fires in Maui that have already destroyed many homes and displaced many residents, and he criticized the government’s response to the emergency.
Holloway, 31, is a UFC featherweight mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter set to face Chan Sung Jung of Korea August 26. Holloway is from Hawaii, a former featherweight champion and holds an MMA record of 24-7-0, according to ESPN.
“Here, the state, the government at so many levels, I’m straight up going to say it, they failed the people of Lahaina and it’s kind of heartbreaking,” Holloway said. “It’s tough man. Everything that’s going on in Lahaina now is heartbreaking,” Holloway told TMZ Sports.
Holloway then mentioned how in spite of what he claims was government “lollygagging,” locals are coming together to try and help with the situation.
“When it felt like they were lollygagging, too, after everything happened, the people, the Hawaiian people, the locals there are the ones that stood up, that took on the responsibility, and are helping, and are still helping as we speak. Man, it’s just super heartbreaking.”
TMZ Sports asked Holloway if he was considering dropping out of the upcoming fight due to the fires, but he extinguished those assumptions.
“If I can take their minds off of it for a second, a minute, five minutes, whatever it is, I always go in there thinking Hawaii is on my back. I’m going in there a little bit heavier right now.”
Holloway shared a number of organizations with TMZ Sports he believes are doing a good job in the effort for relief, which are Lahaina who lost everything, the Maui Food Bank and the Hawaii Community Foundation.
So far, the wildfires have killed at least 118 residents, per Reuters. (RELATED: Editor Daily Rundown: Biden’s Disastrous Maui Response Continues)
Amid many residents and media complaining about government response efforts, Maui County Emergency Management administrator Herman Andaya resigned due to health reasons Thursday, Reuters noted.