Max is Only 31, Probably Will Be Champ Again Realistically

[Deleted member 592659]

Max has taken more headshots than any other mma fighter ever. His career is almost over.

Almost , I think he’s going take someone with him into cte abyss, who is willing to fight Max actually

remember the guy was willing to fight a mythical Khabib on a treadmill :sniper:

 

[Kb7]

He beat a geriatric. Calm down

The same geriatric that the champion just beat a year ago? Or are we forgetting that? Or are we also forgetting Max has been clearing the FW divisions contenders?

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

Lot of mileage on his body though. I doubt he fights past 34.

 

[Kb7]

Isn’t he legit one of the biggest weight cutters in UFC history?

Heard no one has eaten as many punchers or cut as many pounds as he has.

Max walks around 174lbs, same as almost all the other Featherweights, Volkanovski weights more than him, Aldo would walk around at 172. Now add a 3month training camp and they probably lose 10lbs+ and just lower caloric intake and water prior to their water cut the day before weigh ins. It's a myth that haters love to put on Holloway & Holloway only, but all the other top fighters at FW cut a similar amount. It's all because he was pulled from the bout with Khabib, which he was on vacation and had 6 days to cut weight. New York Commison is not used to fighters cutting 15lbs+ as MMA is was new to them at the time 3rd event while they're use Boxers losing less than 10lbs.

 

[scoobster]

Max is gonna get CTE'd before he gets a belt

 

[HuskySamoan]

If Volk retires or loses, Holloway will be right there, he’s way closer to it than anyone else in the division right now including Topuria. It’s way more realistic that Max gets a fourth Volk fight or wins the belt again than someone like Ilia winning it. I actually think people writing him off from being champ again is a little asinine. Volk could even retire and Max could easily get the belt back.

Only 31 years old? Max Had 18+ amateur bouts between 14 and 18 years old. He turned pro at 18, he's had 32 pro fights and signed to the UFC by 20. On top of this, Max is near the top all time for absorbing the most strikes in an MMA career of all time. He's not a young 31, he hasn't exactly been improving either. He got caught a lot vs an old haggard Zombie, he got caught a lot vs Yair and he got caught a lot vs Allen. Volk beat the shit out of him in the trilogy too. He's been responding to punches a little worse lately and slowing down a bit more too, I don't know. I think by the time Volk leaves the division or retires time will have caught Max.

 

[doggo]

Topuria deserves his shot at Volk …. But if he doesn’t get it done - there’s literally no1 but max

Topuria should be fighting Max

 

[jitzmonkey]

it wasn't one instance though. he's literally beat 3 of the last 4 title contenders, 2 of them he beat within 3 fights of them getting their title shot AFTER losing to him. the only reason he hasn't beaten 4 out of the last 4 contenders is because he's the other contender who last fought for the title and the UFC stupidly made Allen fight Max before he could fight Volk.

unless Ilia can sleep him i don't see anyone but maybe Giga being able to beat Max at 145lbs. in striking he's weak to outside fighters who have good footwork, and people who can kick. Giga is the only one who fits that bill. Ilia will just walk into the pocket and try to bomb him out and that's what Max wants. someone who will stand in front of him. on the grappling side is there anybody even remotely good enough to pressure Max like that? i don't see it right now.

of course you're right. eventually you're always right because the majority of fighters will fight passed their expiration date but i just don't see the matchups barring freak KOs there that can give him problems, on paper, and he hasn't really diminished a ton skillwise or physically.

Absolutely!
At this point (since I doubt that he’s getting another shot at the champ any time soon,) I doubt that there’s anyone that beats him in the near future.
That said (just like with DDP) younger challengers presumably make bigger strides between fights than the older guys simply due to the fact that they’re not nursing injuries, have fewer established patterns/tendencies/etc…

It always comes down to not favoring the upset off a top flight veteran until it has already happened.
And if it wasn’t for Volk standing in the way, Max would of course have a better opportunity of regaining gold Brecht his inevitable downfall or retirement.

Maybe he’ll get his own Colby moment, though.

 

[jitzmonkey]

Only 31 years old? Max Had 18+ amateur bouts between 14 and 18 years old. He turned pro at 18, he's had 32 pro fights and signed to the UFC by 20. On top of this, Max is near the top all time for absorbing the most strikes in an MMA career of all time. He's not a young 31, he hasn't exactly been improving either. He got caught a lot vs an old haggard Zombie, he got caught a lot vs Yair and he got caught a lot vs Allen. Volk beat the shit out of him in the trilogy too. He's been responding to punches a little worse lately and slowing down a bit more too, I don't know. I think by the time Volk leaves the division or retires time will have caught Max.

Bingo!
Well said

Topuria should be fighting Max

In a world where matchmaking makes sense, yes.
In a world where one fighter can go on a 2-3 stretch with the three losses all being to the same guy, no.

 

[mkt]

Only 31 years old? Max Had 18+ amateur bouts between 14 and 18 years old. He turned pro at 18, he's had 32 pro fights and signed to the UFC by 20. On top of this, Max is near the top all time for absorbing the most strikes in an MMA career of all time. He's not a young 31, he hasn't exactly been improving either. He got caught a lot vs an old haggard Zombie, he got caught a lot vs Yair and he got caught a lot vs Allen. Volk beat the shit out of him in the trilogy too. He's been responding to punches a little worse lately and slowing down a bit more too, I don't know. I think by the time Volk leaves the division or retires time will have caught Max.

Well put. I said something similar, but without as many details. The only way Max has a chance of winning the belt IMO is if Volk loses or retires in the next 18 months or so. Maybe he could win the belt or interim belt. Maybe. If he did, I don't see him holding it long.

 

[mkt]

Lot of mileage on his body though. I doubt he fights past 34.

If he does fight longer than that, his career will have probably have a sad BJ Penn/Tony Ferguson turn where a bunch of younger fighters beat him and capitalize on his name and legacy.

 

[Poatan Power]

That's an old 31. He lost to McGregor 10 years ago. That was like 6 iterations ago

 

[TempleoftheDog]

I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the champ again when Alex retires or moves up or whatever. Time is on Max’s side compared to Alex. But he has serious mileage.

 

[SouthVanMMA]

Max is alot older in fight years

 

[Ibm]

Its Milage that matters although he was always a very high endurace guy so should be ok.