Max Holloway shares definitive prediction for Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev clash at UFC 308: "I think he can land something"
Max Holloway has offered his prediction for the UFC 308 co-main event between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev. Holloway, who is set to face Ilia Topuria in the main event at UFC 308, believes Whittaker has the edge over Chimaev.
In a recent appearance on the MightyCast podcast, Holloway praised Whittaker’s fight IQ and striking ability. He praised the Australian's superior wrestling, which he believes will be crucial in the five-round fight. Holloway then referenced Kamaru Usman’s recent bout with Chimaev, noting how Usman’s game-plan to sprawl-and-brawl worked to his advantage in the third and final round.
Highlighting how Whittaker can capitalize on a similar strategy over five rounds against 'Borz', the former featherweight champion said:
"It’s a five-rounder… We’ve seen Khamzat get tired in three rounds, he should be training for five rounds, we all know. But it’s still his first one. Robert’s been fighting five rounds forever, that guy is just a vet. A legend, an OG of the sport. I think if he goes out there with that anti-wrestling mindset and doesn’t get held down too much, I think he can land something.” [47:53]
Max Holloway opens up on potential fight with Islam Makhachev
Max Holloway recently sparked intrigue by claiming Islam Makhachev had been avoiding him but now seems open to a potential fight. The former featherweight champion, currently focused on reclaiming his title at UFC 308, has expressed interest in testing himself against Makhachev to achieve double champion status.
Holloway's history with the Dagestani team dates back to 2018 when he stepped in to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov on short notice for the UFC lightweight title. The bout was ultimately called off after Holloway's weight-cut struggles, and Al Iaquinta replaced him.
In the same interview with Demetrious Johnson for the MightyCast podcast, the BMF champion had this to say:
"They call Islam [Makhachev] Khabib 2.0. I want all the taste, I want all the smoke and it would be an honor to fight that guy and try to etch my name in the history books... Islam never wanted to fight me even when I was saying I was coming up to [155 pounds] after fighting the guy that he was supposed to fight next... But then, recently his tone changed." [29:33]
Check out Max Holloway's interview below: