Max Holloway at 155, how far can he go?

Shay Brennan

Shay Brennan

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Are there any news on Max, when he's gonna fight again?

He's lost three times to the current champion, 2 of which were decisive so I doubt he'll get the rematch no matter how dominant he is in other fights.
So, a move up to 155 makes sense. He's also getting older, so the weight cuts will only be harder from now on.
He already fought the number 1 contender at lw and it wasn't a bad performance at all.

If he moved up the right way, how far can he go in the lw divison?
Which are the favourable matchups for him and which are not?
Would you like him to stay at 145 or go to 155?
 
If he does indeed move up, I think him against RDA would be a good indicator on how he'd do. Don't put him against someone like Gaethje, I think that's a bad match up for him style wise. Plus, he needs to put some muscle on his skinny frame in he wants to go up.
 
He isn't going to make the top5 at LW, regardless of what he does.
 
I think he is too weak in 155, he can crack top 10, but it's gonna be hard for him to reach the title. Too many talented guys in 155, who also seem to be stronger than Max.

Can someone explain though why Holloway is very skinny but very heavy? I saw some thread discussing walk around weight of fighters the other day, and Max is heavier than Dustin, he is almost as heavy as Khabib iirc.
 
He has mileage, even if he's 31. He was a UFC fighter almost from the start and active.

I don't like his chances going up, he's still number two at featherweight and a big name, he can make good money still.
 
He won’t handle the wrestling but he can defeat Oliveira if he keeps it standing
 
1. Oliveira
2. Poirier
3. Gaethje
4. Islam
5. Chandler
6. Dariush
7. Fiziev
8. Gamrot
9. Arman
10. Damir

I'm not sure I like his chances vs anyone in the current top 10. I think he could maybe beat Chandler, Gaethje and Dariush but basically every single one of these guys is an uphill battle for Holloway where hed take a lot of damage. Holloway is a small 155er I don't care what anyone says about walk around weight, guys like Islam and Oliveira have similar frames but are much physically larger. Holloway doesn't bring a speed advantage up with him from 145, plenty of these guys are as fast or faster on the feet and Holloway lacks power. I think the wrestling of guys like Gamrot and Islam would be too much too, perhaps others as well.
 
He's a hard stuck ranked 3-5 guy til he starts getting KO'd consistently once his chin wears out
 
I don’t think he will do well. When he fought Dustin he got rocked every time he got hit. I think he would have won if their power was equal since he still hurt Dustin, but that was the difference.
 
He is tall but he has really slightly below average reach for his height. He also stands a bit squared which negates reach. Max doesn't really kick much. There are a few big kickers and wrestlers in 155. I don't even think Max is the favorite against Olives even though he beat Olives before. Max is a decent fighter and I don't think anybody steamrolls him but quality of competition is a bit higher in 155.
 
I wouldn't recommend it unless he can literally no longer make weight.

The (lack of) strength, relative lack of reach (about 3 inches less than average), accumulated damage at FW, lack of offensive wrestling, etc..

I think he would win some ranked fights, but I don't think he would build up any real momentum.

I think he's better winning at FW and waiting for someone else to beat Volk (or Volk moving up himself, who knows?).
 
Chagaev said:
He has mileage, even if he's 31. He was a UFC fighter almost from the start and active.

I don't like his chances going up, he's still number two at featherweight and a big name, he can make good money still.
Click to expand...

This is true, but I think Max could be top 5 at 155. He has solid boxing and is big enough, recent reports have him walking around 190#. "The featherweight has hinted that he walks around at over 190 pounds, making him one of the UFC's biggest weight cutters. Jan 17, 2022"
 
HuskySamoan said:
1. Oliveira
2. Poirier
3. Gaethje
4. Islam
5. Chandler
6. Dariush
7. Fiziev
8. Gamrot
9. Arman
10. Damir

I'm not sure I like his chances vs anyone in the current top 10. I think he could maybe beat Chandler, Gaethje and Dariush but basically every single one of these guys is an uphill battle for Holloway where hed take a lot of damage. Holloway is a small 155er I don't care what anyone says about walk around weight, guys like Islam and Oliveira have similar frames but are much physically larger. Holloway doesn't bring a speed advantage up with him from 145, plenty of these guys are as fast or faster on the feet and Holloway lacks power. I think the wrestling of guys like Gamrot and Islam would be too much too, perhaps others as well.
Click to expand...
1. Oliveira- I actually think it’s a winnable fight for Max, he could just outwork Oliviera on the feet. 50/50
2. Poirier- another 50/50 fight IMO. The first one was competitive and if Max adds a bit of muscle he could win the rematch.
3. Gaethje- he could outlast Gaethje as well. 60/40 Max
4. Islam- I doubt Max could stop the TDs. 70/30 Islam
5. Chandler- pretty much the same as with Gaethje, 60/40 Max
6. Dariush- Max is much better on the feet and doubt Dariush could take him down. 70/30 Max
7. Fiziev- the most winnable fight for Max as Fiziev isn’t the biggest LW, not a KO artist and does slow down a bit in the later rounds. 70/30 Max
8. Gamrot- Gamrot wrestle fucks him. 60/40 Gamrot
9. Arman- the same as Gamrot 60/40 Arman
10. Damir- a very dangerous opponent for Max. He might as good or even better than Max in every part of the game and he’s bigger. 60/40 Damir

Outside of top10 maybe Guram, Conor and Jallin Turner could beat him as well
 
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