Athletes for Hope (AFH) is stepping into the Octagon, announcing that UFC legend Max Holloway has joined its Athlete Leadership Council. Holloway is the latest high-profile athlete to team up with the organization, joining a roster that includes Jalen Hurts, Stephen Curry, Katie Ledecky, Nathan Chen, Elena Delle Donne, Gabby Thomas, and Ezra Frech. In his role, Holloway will help carry out AFH’s mission to inspire athletes of all ages to make a lasting positive impact in their communities. Athletes for Hope is the largest athlete-led sports philanthropy nonprofit in the United States.
Known globally as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, Holloway has long focused his personal time on supporting his hometown. Raised in Wai’anae, Hawaii, one of the state’s most underserved communities, Holloway has spent his career creating opportunities for kids who grew up in neighborhoods like his own. In his role with AFH, Holloway will collaborate with the organization to amplify youth-focused philanthropic initiatives, support underserved communities across the country, and help guide the direction of AFH’s community programs.
From his early days in the UFC to becoming one of combat sports’ most beloved figures worldwide, Holloway has used his platform to open doors for others. Off the mat, his commitment to community runs deep. As a global ambassador for the Hawaii Foodbank, he has helped provide more than 200,000 meals to Hawaiian families. He opened a UFC-branded fitness center at the Wai’anae Boys & Girls Club, the same clubhouse where he once found refuge as a kid and became the organization’s first Health and Fitness Ambassador nationwide. When the 2023 Maui wildfires devastated communities across the island, Holloway helped finance a land-home village now sheltering more than 800 people. In 2025, he launched the Max Holloway Foundation, focused on arts, education, fitness, and mental health for underprivileged youth across Hawaii.
“Growing up in Wai’anae, I didn’t always see a path forward, but sport gave me one,” said Holloway. “Joining the Athletes for Hope Athlete Leadership Council means I get to help build that same path for kids who need it most, standing alongside athletes who understand that what we do outside of competition matters just as much as what we do in it. If one kid from an underserved community sees this and believes a little more in what’s possible for them, that’s everything.”
Holloway will work to carry forward the legacy of AFH’s founding athletes, including Muhammad Ali, by inspiring the next generation to use sport as a force for good.
“Max is one of the most genuine people in professional sports,” said Jason Belinkie, CEO of Athletes for Hope. “What he has built in Hawaii from the ground up, and always with his community at the center is exactly what AFH is about. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Athlete Leadership Council and excited to see the impact he’ll have on young people across the country who need to see themselves in athletes like him.”
To learn more about Athletes for Hope and the Athlete Leadership Council, please visit athletesforhope.org.
About Athletes for Hope
Founded in 2006 by Muhammad Ali, Mia Hamm, Andre Agassi, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Alonzo Mourning, Jeff Gordon, Warrick Dunn, and five other legendary athletes, AFH educates, encourages, and empowers professional, Olympic, Paralympic, college, and high school athletes to find their philanthropic passions and volunteer with community organizations and schools across the U.S. AFH is now led by the next generation of athlete leaders and has become the largest athlete-led sports nonprofit in the U.S., with thousands of athlete members. Our core programs focus on underserved youth physical activity, leadership, and mental health, positively impacting more than 400,000 underserved students every month.