Do I have to read Negima before I read UQ Holder? Is it suggested or do it not matter? If there's only a few things I need to know for the plot to make sense can someone list them?

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven..”
― John Milton, Paradise Lost

Theres a whole lot of references to Negima (it would be too long to list them, it's a lot, really). If you dont mind moments of "where this is from" or "who those guys are talking about" feeling then, go ahead. Otherwise, read negima first.

I would seriously suggest reading Negima first. Not only is it an enjoyable read, it is the prequel.

As mentioned above, you're gonna have a lot of "what?" moments unless you're already familiar with the characters and overall plot.

Is this me in a nutshell?
Pretty much.
[img]http://www.dragonflycave.com/wpay/ninetales.gif[/img]

As one of the scanlators of Negima and a reader of UQ Holder, I echo the advice that you should really read Negima first

A just ruler amongst tyrants

I personally tried to read Negima but I didn't enjoy it at all, and it's completely different from UQ Holder, though I've been told that's only for the beginning.

negima is a very nice read, the story is more slow pace than UQ holder where the pace is faster

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