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- Aug 28, 2009
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Who you got?
This is one of my favorite match ups of the year. Interim shenangans aside, there's not much hype, no media hysteria, no big beef
Just pure sport
A well match, closely contested fight that MEANS something. That's what it's all about
On top of that - Max Holloway is everybodies favorite fighter, even if they don't realize it. And Anthony Pettis used to be that guy.
I used the term "Flash vs Substance" because that's ultimately boils down to. A guy who is probably one of the top 10 most fundamentally sound fighters on the feet, versus Anthony Pettis - a dude whose entire style is built around finishing in spectacular ways, and that's not an insult.
I got Holloway personally. He's the better fighter based on their recent history, the better striker when technique is considered, maybe the more sound grappler (though he's much like Pettis on the mat) and he has all the momentum in the world. Holloway is one of those guys who is categorized as having "neo-footwork" much like Dominick Cruz, TJ Dillashaw and Demetrious Johnson. That's bull shit, all four of these guys just have GOOD footwork, a rarity in MMA. They do the same things that made Anderson Silva succesfull even as he aged, what makes great boxers great (Lomachenko, who is the new hot thing lives off of this) and made Petroysan nearly unbeatable for so long - all they are doing is manipulating the weakside angles and turning opponents.
Knowing how to turn your opponent is the basis of high level striking, it puts you in the best position for offense while ALSO making them react and giving you a good defensive position. TJ, DJ and Dom added stance switches, but even that's not new it's just another way to take angles in a sport that includes takedowns and kicks.
But this fight is more about Anthony Pettis. Pettis was a guy who seemed destined to be a star. A documentary on MTV, a WEC belt and a Wheaties box - when he took the UFC title he was poised to be the face of the UFC. His style is excitement defined, his resume is fantastic. People even forget that he, not Conor, was going to be the first guy since BJ to challenge for two belts - he and Jose Aldo were actually booked for UFC 163 before injuries to Anthony derailed the match up, but the idea was to challenge for 145 then take his title shot (which was promised) at LW after. Injuries have been a major story in Anthony's career but the real issue with Pettis has been his lack of development
Again, he's possibly the most exciting dude in MMA - but his entire style is built around hunting for the finish and many of his fundamentals have suffered. Anthony Pettis is a bad boxer. It's just bad. He's got atrocious footwork off his back foot, he lacks the ring craft to control the cage unless the opponent gives him space. His style is very much the same as it's been, and his development has been almost nonexistent. That doesn't mean he's not elite, the most impressive thing is that his offense is so potent that if an opponent makes a mistake he can capitalize at any moment and get the finish. But his style is not built for elite MMA, he can't really win rounds or decisions, he doesn't throw with enough volume to back anyone up
This fight is most interesting because Anthony Pettis has reportedly rededicated himself to training and has "the fire back". Max Holloway is the perfect test - he is everything that MMA is trending towards, brilliant striking on the feet, aggression, good off the counter, great counter wrestling. There is a reason that he only has two legit loses in the UFC (bermudez fight was a robbery). And he will probably keep getting better. While Anthony as he was in the last fight could win this bout, it's unlikely - he's going to have to show improvements in order to beat a guy on the level of Max.
TLDR:
Picking Max
Rooting for Pettis - this fight is more about what adjustments he can make
Max can just go out and play his normal game
Who you got
This is one of my favorite match ups of the year. Interim shenangans aside, there's not much hype, no media hysteria, no big beef
Just pure sport
A well match, closely contested fight that MEANS something. That's what it's all about
On top of that - Max Holloway is everybodies favorite fighter, even if they don't realize it. And Anthony Pettis used to be that guy.
I used the term "Flash vs Substance" because that's ultimately boils down to. A guy who is probably one of the top 10 most fundamentally sound fighters on the feet, versus Anthony Pettis - a dude whose entire style is built around finishing in spectacular ways, and that's not an insult.
I got Holloway personally. He's the better fighter based on their recent history, the better striker when technique is considered, maybe the more sound grappler (though he's much like Pettis on the mat) and he has all the momentum in the world. Holloway is one of those guys who is categorized as having "neo-footwork" much like Dominick Cruz, TJ Dillashaw and Demetrious Johnson. That's bull shit, all four of these guys just have GOOD footwork, a rarity in MMA. They do the same things that made Anderson Silva succesfull even as he aged, what makes great boxers great (Lomachenko, who is the new hot thing lives off of this) and made Petroysan nearly unbeatable for so long - all they are doing is manipulating the weakside angles and turning opponents.
Knowing how to turn your opponent is the basis of high level striking, it puts you in the best position for offense while ALSO making them react and giving you a good defensive position. TJ, DJ and Dom added stance switches, but even that's not new it's just another way to take angles in a sport that includes takedowns and kicks.
But this fight is more about Anthony Pettis. Pettis was a guy who seemed destined to be a star. A documentary on MTV, a WEC belt and a Wheaties box - when he took the UFC title he was poised to be the face of the UFC. His style is excitement defined, his resume is fantastic. People even forget that he, not Conor, was going to be the first guy since BJ to challenge for two belts - he and Jose Aldo were actually booked for UFC 163 before injuries to Anthony derailed the match up, but the idea was to challenge for 145 then take his title shot (which was promised) at LW after. Injuries have been a major story in Anthony's career but the real issue with Pettis has been his lack of development
Again, he's possibly the most exciting dude in MMA - but his entire style is built around hunting for the finish and many of his fundamentals have suffered. Anthony Pettis is a bad boxer. It's just bad. He's got atrocious footwork off his back foot, he lacks the ring craft to control the cage unless the opponent gives him space. His style is very much the same as it's been, and his development has been almost nonexistent. That doesn't mean he's not elite, the most impressive thing is that his offense is so potent that if an opponent makes a mistake he can capitalize at any moment and get the finish. But his style is not built for elite MMA, he can't really win rounds or decisions, he doesn't throw with enough volume to back anyone up
This fight is most interesting because Anthony Pettis has reportedly rededicated himself to training and has "the fire back". Max Holloway is the perfect test - he is everything that MMA is trending towards, brilliant striking on the feet, aggression, good off the counter, great counter wrestling. There is a reason that he only has two legit loses in the UFC (bermudez fight was a robbery). And he will probably keep getting better. While Anthony as he was in the last fight could win this bout, it's unlikely - he's going to have to show improvements in order to beat a guy on the level of Max.
TLDR:
Picking Max
Rooting for Pettis - this fight is more about what adjustments he can make
Max can just go out and play his normal game
Who you got
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