ATLANTA – UFC President Dana White believes Max Holloway looked undersized for the lightweight division at UFC 236 and wants to see him back in the weight class where he holds gold.

Holloway (20-4 MMA, 16-4 UFC), the UFC featherweight champion, moved up to 155 for an interim title bout with Dustin Poirier (25-5 MMA, 17-4 UFC) on Saturday. It did not go his way, with “Blessed” dropping a unanimous decision to snap his 13-fight winning streak inside the octagon.

White said he thought Holloway was undersized for the division, and because of that would like to see the Hawaiian return to the division he currently rules.

“It’s crazy, what I didn’t expect is he looked small at 155,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC 236 post-event news conference. “So I look forward to him going back to 145.”

UFC 236 took place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Poirier vs. Holloway headlined the pay-per-view main card following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.

White did not elaborate on when, where and against whom Holloway could defend against at featherweight next, but some time off will likely be required after absorbing 178 significant strikes in the contest.

Outside of a post-fight interview in the octagon with Joe Rogan and a short message to MMA Junkie while passing press row, Holloway did not do any media after the contest. White said he sent Holloway to a local Atlanta hospital, and once he’s back in full health, the promotion will look ahead to his next contest.

“We took him straight from the octagon to the hospital,” White said. “I told my guys, ‘I don’t want him doing any interviews. Take him straight to the hospital.’ He’s tough, he’s awesome, but I’d like to see him at 145 pounds again. Poirier looked much bigger than him in my opinion.”

For complete coverage of UFC 236, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

Gallery Dustin Poirier def. Max Holloway at UFC 236: Best photos view 60 images