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topicnews · August 28, 2024

“What if you could tire him out a little?”

“What if you could tire him out a little?”

Aljamain Sterling recently shared his insights on the upcoming featherweight title fight between reigning champion Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway at UFC 308.

“El Matador” is preparing to put his title on the line for the first time against Holloway in the main event of a highly anticipated pay-per-view event scheduled to take place on October 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Topuria won the 145-pound title in February at UFC 298 with a stunning second-round knockout of former titleholder Alexander Volkanovski. He has five wins in less than two rounds, dismantling formidable opponents such as Bryce Mitchell, Jai Herbert and Josh Emmett.

On the other hand, “Blessed” is preparing for his third attempt to reclaim the featherweight crown that slipped from his grasp against Volkanovski in December 2019. Despite two valiant revenge attempts that failed, Holloway has bounced back with three wins. He knocked out Justin Gaethje in a last-second lightweight showdown at UFC 300 in April, a victory that also crowned him BMF champion.

Topuria has built his reputation on a combination of aggressive striking and powerful grappling. Holloway’s extensive experience and resilience make him a formidable challenge for any opponent.

“Funk Master” suggests that Holloway has a real chance of toppling Topuria if he can skillfully control the distance and take full advantage of his reach advantage.

Sterling predicts Holloway could push Topuria to the limit in the championship rounds

At a recent appearance on Verse Us with Eric NicksickSterling commented on the Topuria vs. Holloway fight at UFC 308. While the former UFC bantamweight champion acknowledged “El Matador’s” knockout power, he also pointed out several potential weaknesses.

Sterling believes that if Holloway can maintain the fight while standing and execute his striking game with precision, the defending champion could be in trouble.

“Topuria is a savage; the guy can break in, but he had trouble with Volkanovski in the first round,” Sterling said. “Here comes Max Holloway: great footwork, high guard, long punches. He has a shorter reach than Volkanovski, but his footwork is what helps him so much in his fights, and he’s very durable. So if he goes back to his kicking game and stays in his range — Topuria is, I think, 5’6, maybe 5’7. Max has a shorter reach for a 135-pound guy; I think it’s around 5’3. If you look at that, you see Topuria’s great grappling, but Max has great takedown defense. If Max could stay on his bike and touch him from the outside, it would be very interesting to see what happens in the later rounds.”

“Funk Master” further emphasized that Topuria’s stamina is still relatively untested and said that if “Blessed” can extend the fight into the fourth and fifth rounds while maintaining a measured striking technique, this could represent another challenge for the undefeated Georgian-Spanish boxer.

“We didn’t see Topuria [get] not worn out or tired yet. In round five with Josh Emmett he was in charge the whole time, but what happens when you can tire him out a little bit – when he has a few failed takedown attempts or when he gets takedowns and Max can get back up – then the fight becomes very interesting. He was always right in your face with his spinning back kicks. When Max gets back to being the old Max, it’s a very exciting fight.”

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