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Max Holloway will make his return to the lightweight division when he takes on Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. The pair will compete over 'The Highlight's' newly minted BMF championship, marking one of the event's marquee bouts by pitting two of the promotion's most beloved action fighters against each other.
Holloway rose to prominence in the featherweight division by drowning his opposition in an avalanche of never-ending strikes. Meanwhile, Gaethje is a brutal power puncher who is more than willing to eat a blow to land his own in search of a memorable knockout.
Thus, their matchup is a clash of styles. But how will Holloway fare in his return to the 155-pound weight class, especially against Gaethje? Will he emerge victorious or be sent tumbling back to featherweight?
Max Holloway's volume-punching vs. Justin Gaethje's power-punching
Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway is one of the greatest fighters in the world. While he is a complete mixed martial artist, 'Blessed' is a striker by trade, or more aptly, by choice. Much of his work begins with his jab, which he uses to establish his range and manage distance.
As he is often the taller man, he usually dictates the range at which his bouts take place. This is despite the fact that he has unusually short arms for a man of his height. Fortunately, having a shorter reach while being taller is still an advantage, as it forces his shorter foes to punch upward, which undercuts their reach.
Check out Max Holloway TKO'ing Anthony Pettis:
Holloway snipes his opponents with the jab; its purpose is to determine how far from him they stand. In short, if he can land his jab, he can land his right hand. Once his jab informs him of the range he ought to use, he builds off it with an endless string of combinations, targeting both the head and midsection.
In particular, 'Blessed' enjoys hooking off the jab, targeting the liver, which he did against both José Aldo and Anthony Pettis, with the latter melting against the fence from the heat of Holloway's combinations. With a bottomless gas tank, 'Blessed' overwhelms his opponents with a record-breaking work rate.
This, however, could prove difficult to do against Justin Gaethje. One of the few flaws in Holloway's game is his distinct lack of punching power, despite what his recent knockout of Chan Sung Jung might imply. This same drawback is not present in Gaethje's game, as 'The Highlight' is a crushing knockout artist.
Without the power to hurt Gaethje, Holloway may very well lack the means to persuade him from marching him down. Like Holloway, Gaethje's offense often follows his jab. However, given the legendary Hawaiian's preference for operating from long range, he is open to Gaethje's greatest ranged weapons: low kicks.
Due to Holloway's overreliance on the jab, his lead leg is often vulnerable to low kicks, which was a major reason behind his first loss to Alexander Volkanovski. This stems from the fact that a jab, when executed properly, involves stepping forward with the punch. And this brings Holloway's lead leg into range.
Check out Justin Gaethje getting a low-kick TKO:
It leaves it highly exposed, which will allow Gaethje to interrupt his combinations by low-kicking him every time he throws his jab. This will prevent Holloway from following his jab with combinations and also forces him to reset his stance, during which 'The Highlight' will have an opening to land his own punches.
This is an oft-used tactic of Gaethje's. By forcing his opponent to reset their stance, he buys himself precious seconds to land power punches when his foe's footing is in no position for them to eat his blows. Furthermore, his knockout power will also dissuade Holloway from committing to his combinations.
This was the case when 'Blessed' faced Dustin Poirier for the interim lightweight title at UFC 236. Holloway struggled to impose his game due to Poirier's power stopping him in his tracks. While highly skilled, the difference in physicality, along with the Hawaiian's weakness to low kicks could be his downfall at UFC 300.
Max Holloway's chin crack at UFC 300
Max Holloway is one of the most durable fighters in UFC history. 'Blessed' has never been knocked out. In fact, he has never even been knocked down despite having faced the likes of Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, José Aldo, and Yair Rodriguez, all four of whom possess fearsome knockout power.
However, Holloway has absorbed a tremendous amount of damage throughout his career. He has taken part in numerous wars, like his second bout with Poirier, and has taken significant punishment, like in his trilogy with Alexander Volkanovski. At some point, everyone's chin falters, and Holloway's may be close.
Check out Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski 3:
This is especially possible given that at UFC 300, he will lock horns with Justin Gaethje, who is a brutally powerful lightweight. He is among the few fighters to finish the formerly durable Tony Ferguson with strikes, and 20 of his 25 wins have come by way of knockout.
Furthermore, Gaethje has introduced a new wrinkle to his game through which he can separate his foes from consciousness: head kicks. At UFC 291, he stunned the MMA world by knocking Poirier out cold with a seismic kick. Even if Holloway manages to survive a knockout, a knockdown is still within the realm of possibility.
Check out Justin Gaethje knocking out Dustin Poirier:
Unfortunately, Holloway's chin has faced one too many storms. Even in fights he has dominated, he has absorbed damaging blows due to his poor defensive striking. He cannot afford to be as courageous with his chin against Gaethje. But a cautious Holloway could lead to neutered offense on his part.
He may very well find himself in a no-win situation. While he certainly possesses the skills to beat 'The Highlight,' it is more likely that Holloway will end up on his foe's highlight reel.
