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According to Josh Thomson, Bellator sensation A.J. McKee has the perfect style to outmatch UFC's Max Holloway despite fighting much lesser competition.
The 27-year-old is preparing to defend his featherweight title in a rematch against former champion Patricio Freire when the two meet in the middle of the cage on April 15. The American came out on top in his first meeting with the Brazilian in emphatic fashion, scoring a head kick that set up a standing guillotine choke.
During a recent episode of Weighing Interjection, Josh Thomson spoke highly of A.J. McKee and insisted that in a fantasy bout with Max Holloway, 'Mercenary' would come out with his hand raised. He said:
"I think Max loses to A.J. Now, styles make matchups. [Alexander] Volkanovski's a harder matchup for A.J. than Max is."
Thomson continued with his praise of the Bellator star, claiming he's the best 145-lber on the planet over Alexander Volkanovski. He added:
"Him [A.J. McKee] and Volk make for a very good fight. All-around great fight. I'm not saying A.J.'s gonna win but I still put A.J. ahead of Volk... I understand Volk's had the tougher competition, so I would maybe lean towards Volk because of that... Where does A.J. lose this fight outside of fight experience?"
The podcast host claims that McKee is faster, with a longer reach and better wrestling, and despite not having the same experience as the Australian against high-level fighters, believes he should be labeled the best featherweight in the world.
Check out what Josh Thomson and John McCarthy had to say in the video below:
What's next for Max Holloway?
After pulling out of his scheduled trilogy fight with Alexander Volkanovski due to injury, news surrounding Max Holloway has been quiet and the former featherweight champion's timeline for a return to the octagon is unknown.
After losing his featherweight title and coming up short in the immediate rematch, 'Blessed' had arguably his greatest ever performance under the UFC banner when he put on a striking clinic against the always dangerous Calvin Kattar.
If a shot at UFC gold is not up next for the Hawaiin, the only logical matchup in the rankings for Max Holloway is a meeting with the surging Brit Arnold Allen, who is fresh off a dominant win over Dan Hooker at UFC London.
