Did Holloway win because of age, cardio, iq etc? Or was he the better and more skilled kickboxer? Aldo always seemed to have cleaner and more impactful strikers. Never sloppy, plus when snacks fools their heads whip back. But max did what he did against kattar. So who's the better striker, technically speaking?
This is hard to say, because they have very different styles, and styles are partly dictated by a fighter's physical attributes (power, durability, speed, cardio, reach, etc.). A long and lanky person with no power and high cardio shouldn't strike the same as a short and stocky tank with a lot of power but a small gas tank, for example.
They each have their pros and cons (Aldo is definitely better defensively, has better leg kicks, and is more powerful; while Max is superior at fighting from any stance, volume, feinting, and combinations).
Even then, some of those "cons" are conscious decisions. Max, for example, is making a decision to rely on his iron chin so he can throw more shots instead of being more evasive, since his entire game is attrition based.
Ultimately, I'll say this:
1. Head to head, Max's style of striking beat Aldo's--twice
2. Against other elite FWs, especially the best of the new school, Max's striking was more effective (Volk, Frankie Edgar).
