With a Hall of Fame-worthy resume, LeBron James is one of the most influential athletes in sports today. His popularity and dominance on the court have helped him reach the highly desired billionaire status. There are very few athletes in the world who can match LeBron James’ celebrity status. So, it might come as a surprise when athletes compare themselves to LeBron in terms of popularity and impact.

Former UFC Featherweight champion Max Holloway compared his popularity with King James, but it was for a specific reason.

Max Holloway explains why he is like LeBron James

In the latest episode of The Flagrant podcast with comedian Andrew Schulz, Holloway talked about why he continues to live in his homeland of Waianae in Hawaii. Max has been a professional fighter since 2010 and is currently worth around $2 million. Being a former featherweight champion and a dominant force in his division, Holloway has garnered a huge following from all around the world. But, the veteran fighter has not left the place where he grew up despite his celebrity status.

When asked about his stardom affecting his life in Waianae, he said, “You can walk around there without getting harassed.” Holloway compared his life in Waianae with LeBron’s life in Akron, Ohio. LeBron grew up in Akron, and being a small town, most people have gotten used to a King James sighting every once in a while. “That’s F***ing LeBron. They see him all the time,” Holloway said about LeBron growing up in Akron.

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Like The Akron Hammer, the UFC fighter has also spent his entire life in his hometown and can walk around freely despite his popularity.

Holloway has no plans of leaving Waianae

Most athletes move out of their hometowns after they reach a certain level of success and popularity. But Holloway has no plans of leaving Waianae anytime soon. He revealed in the podcast that he recently bought more land in Waianae, closer to his wife’s hometown. Despite his living preferences, Holloway is a beast inside the Octagon.

With his 24-7-0 record, the former champion is set to face his next opponent, Chan Sung Jung, aka ‘The Korean Zombie’ this Saturday. The fight in Singapore might be a potential retirement fight for The Korean Zombie.

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Max Holloway has dominated the Featherweight division for many years like LeBron has dominated the NBA for two decades. So in a way, he was not wrong in comparing himself with the 4-time champion despite the massive income difference between the two. With what LeBron has done for the development of Akron, more athletes have started to focus on their roots and give back to the place where they come from. And, this is great for the future of the entire community.