Ex-UFC star explains why Max Holloway is "a bad matchup" for Ilia Topuria, outlines potential "downfall" move for 'El Matador'
A former UFC lightweight considers Max Holloway a difficult stylistic challenge for Ilia Topuria. The two featherweights are set to clash in the main event of UFC 308 in October.
In a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast, Josh Thomson gave his take on the next 145-pound championship clash. While Thomson acknowledged that Topuria is a "fantastic" fighter, he believes Holloway's striking prowess will prove to be too much for the Spaniard.
"He's going to be kind of chasing a little bit, he's going to be reaching and lunging to get in on Max Holloway, and that's going to be his downfall. Max on the feet? I'm sorry. There's a lot of talk about, 'Oh, he's the best boxer in MMA, this and that.' He's got great hands. What I like though is his fight IQ. Now, he doesn't have fight IQ with 10 seconds left on the clock."
Holloway is indeed one of the crispest boxers in UFC history and seems to be improving. He is coming off back-to-back knockout wins over Chan Sung Jung and Justin Gaethje and has delivered sublime five-round performances against the likes of Arnold Allen, Yair Rodriguez, and Calvin Kattar in recent years.
Thomson believes the Hawaiian's fight IQ and accuracy will also prove to be telling factors. He added:
"He's [Holloway] got fight IQ and how he uses his movement, how he puts his combinations together, how he threatens the body as well as the head, he throws everything at you and the kitchen sink and it lands. He's accurate with his strikes, no wasted movements, he knows what he's doing. Topuria right now, look, I think he's a fantastic fighter. I just think stylistically this is a bad matchup for him."
Check out Josh Thomson's preview of Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway (3:04):
Topuria believes in a wildly different outcome, vowing to finish Holloway, who has only ever been finished once in a 33-fight career.
Max Holloway doubts Ilia Topuria's level as a fighter
Much like Alexander Volkanovski before him, Max Holloway has questioned just how good a fighter Ilia Topuria truly is. He believes that the circumstances of the Spaniard's title win over Volkanovski were in his favor due to the Australian's prior, and very recent, knockout loss to Islam Makhachev.
At UFC 308, he aims to see for himself whether 'El Matador' is the real deal or a paper champ who, while skilled, lucked his way into a championship win over Volkanovski when the latter was most vulnerable.