Max Holloway
Key Stats: 2,173 significant strikes landed (1st all-time), 6.29 strikes landed per minute (2nd all-time among FW), 10 finishes (1st all-time among FW)
What It Means: The former featherweight champ skyrocketed his way up the rankings with his all-action, all-pressure style that often melted his opponents. Holloway has a deft ability to manage distance, switching stances constantly and often in the middle of long combinations. Holloway rarely swings big, often pawing with straight punches up top before ripping to the body, which is one of his best traits when it comes to striking. His last few fights have come against opponents with strong grappling reputations, so it’ll be interesting to see if Holloway unleashes a few more kicks – if he does, watch for the leg kicks and spinning back kicks that help him maintain his distance and pace.
Watch UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Kattar Live On ABC At 3pm/12pm ETPT
What It Means: The first thing of note when it comes to Kattar is his boxing. It is patient, heavy-handed and technically among the best in the promotion. He’s a patient fighter, which sometimes leads to slow starts, but he has improved his urgency and ability to read his opponent in his recent run up the rankings. His footwork is subtle and allows him to make the right reads before he gets to work. His right cross is probably his best punch, and he sets it up off a jab as well as a lead hook, and when he sits down on it, he brings real fight-changing power. He has mixed things up and landed elbows to change up his rhythm and distance, which is what he knocked Jeremy Stephens out with in mid-2020.
What to Look For in the Fight: Plainly, this fight should be awesome. Holloway is hungry to get back to a title shot, and Kattar has taken the hard path to get to this exact opportunity. Both are going to stand and throw, but they also aren’t going to go wild. Holloway is going to pressure Kattar the most he’s ever been pressured, and Holloway has the kind of chin to take the damage that invites. Kattar has shown a good gas tank, the kind that allows him to get stronger as the fight goes on, but how that stands up to Holloway’s pressure is something to note. People often key on Kattar’s lead leg as well, but he has shown improved timing in either sliding out of the way or checking the kick. Neither man has been knocked out, so it’ll come down to the second, third and fourth efforts. Don’t expect many grappling exchanges.
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Co-Main Event: Carlos Condit vs Matt Brown
Key Stats: 7 Fight Night bonuses (tied 2nd all-time among WW), +1.33 striking differential (7th), 1,564 total strikes landed (3rd)
What It Means: “The Natural Born Killer” got back on track in his last fight, and he still has the ability to string together some of the most fluid striking combinations in the division. His volume and diversity in his striking often puts him in advantageous positions, and he is also dangerous in finding a submission when the opportunity presents itself. When he finds his distance and rhythm on the feet, Condit is one of the most fun fighters on the roster.
RELATED: Preview Every Fight On UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Kattar
Key Stats: 11 KO/TKO wins (tied-1st all-time), 54.3% significant strike accuracy (3rd all=time among WW), 13 finishes (1st all-time among WW)
What It Means: Brown is undoubtedly a knockout artist. He’s a smart fighter who is looking to dispatch his opponent in the most violent way possible, and he’s willing to take shots in order to give them. Up against the fence and off the break, he loves to connect with massive elbows. He can mix knees and short shots in the clinch as well, and his durability has served him well throughout his career.
What to Look For in the Fight: This fight, which has been booked twice in the past without ever coming to fruition, feels like a throwback contest between two high-level veterans who are very much still dangerous. Condit got back on track in his last fight and looked like he still has the goods to compete, and Brown pushed undefeated up-and-comer Miguel Baeza before falling in that fight. It should be a fun contest between two veterans who know nothing other than to bring the fight to the middle of the Octagon, and because of their experience, they bring some savvy to those exchanges as well.
RELATED: Right Time, Right Place For Wu Yanan | Max Holloway’s Fab Five | Fighters On The Rise | Watch UFC Fight Night: Holloway Vs. Kattar On ESPN+
Other Fights to Watch (Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Li Jingliang)
Key Stats: 1.2 knockdowns per 15 minutes (4th all-time among WW), 64.5% significant strike defense (tied 5th), 7-fight win streak (3rd longest active streaks among WW)
What It Means: One of the most fearsome strikers in the division, Ponzinibbio returns from more than two years out of the Octagon. When we saw him last against Neil Magny, he dominated, mixing in heavy leg kicks with his usual sharpshot striking attack. He can pick opponents apart as well as bring the knockout shot, and because of his diverse and powerful striking, he can often dictate the pace of the fight.
Key Stats: 4.51 strikes landed per minute, 42% striking accuracy, 1.32 takedowns per 15 minutes
What It Means: “The Leech” is a pressure-forward, well-rounded fighter who can grind out a win wherever the fight leads him. He is an active striker who likes to pressure his opponent against the fence, and in clinch situations, he has the strength to maintain control. He’s not afraid to take the fight to the ground and has the skillset to deal damage there as well. If the opportunity presents itself, he does have some heavy hands that can rattle his foe.
What to Look For in the Fight: This is an incredibly important fight for Ponzinibbio and a great opportunity for “The Leech.” The former needs to re-establish himself in a welterweight division that moved on without him and remind folks of the surging title contender he was before his hiatus. The latter can get the biggest win of his career and potentially break out of the “just outside the top 15” status he occupies. Watch for how Ponzinibbio handles Jingliang’s pressure, especially early. If Ponzinibbio can find his distance and timing, the welterweight title race adds yet another name to a high-profile and crowded picture.
RELATED: Li Jingliang Is Back
