It’s going down later tonight (Sat., Dec. 10, 2016) at UFC 206 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as surging featherweight contenders Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis will throwdown for interim title rights. Holloway, 25, will put his nine-fight win streak on the line, while Pettis, 29, will look to win his second-straight after dropping down from lightweight.
Their matchup at UFC 206 certainly has the ingredients to create one of the more memorable main event bouts of 2016, but it will be up to “Blessed” and “Showtime” to unleash fury and make one another fight with everything they have in the tank. In order to determine what both featherweights need to do in order to leave the Octagon victorious later this evening, we take a look at the keys to victory for this intriguing UFC 206 headliner.
Max Holloway
1. Maintain constant movement…
It’s no secret that Holloway is at his best when he’s able to move around the outside of the pocket, strike from distance, pick his shots and confuse his opponent with movement and range. Holloway can attribute his recent string of success to his ability to land and get out of harm’s way.
While Pettis is a high-level striker in his own right, he isn’t the type of fighter tthat consistently moves his feet and gets out of the way of punches. That should allow “Blessed” to dictate the pace of the fight, force Pettis to react to his movements and suffice for a three-inch reach disadvantage.
2. Don’t hunt down a finish…
While Holloway is one of the more prolific strikers in the featherweight division, he doesn’t necessarily possess knockout power. He has locked down memorable stoppages in the past, but nothing to write home about when he’s matched up against top contenders.
When it comes to his main event clash with Pettis later this evening, it’s key that Holloway waits for the finish to find him. Pettis has never been stopped in 24 professional bouts so it’s going to be tough for the Hawaiian to end that streak tonight. It can be done, but rushing in for a knockout finish may get Holloway in trouble, especially if he’s already up on the scorecards and ahead of the action.
Anthony Pettis
1. Slow Holloway down with kicks…
While Pettis will be the bigger and stronger fighter tonight in Toronto, he’s going to give up a little speed and quickness on the feet to Holloway. As an elite offensive weapon who relies on his own quick-twitch reactions, “Showtime” rarely has to play the role of the “slower striker.”
In order to help close the gap and slow Holloway down, Pettis will find it very helpful to land leg kicks in the early going. He could even mix in some of his patented body kicks, which is exactly what McGregor used back at UFC Fight Night 26 to push Holloway back up against the cage. Whichever technique he chooses, Pettis must make Holloway pay for his in-and-out advancements and rely on his Octagon spacing to control the Hawaiian’s quicker combinations on the feet.
2. Attack on the ground…
As good of a striker as Pettis is, he’s extremely dangerous on the ground. Not only has “Showtime” submitted top lightweights en route to claiming a title, but he put a stop to grappling specialist Charles Oliveira back in August via guillotine choke. It was quite impressive, especially considering “do Bronx” had only been submitted once before that (Jim Miller).
With all of that said, Pettis might find it advantageous to rely on his grappling skills against a shifty and creative striker like Holloway. The Hawaiian does sport solid takedown defense and his own list of UFC submission finishes, but Pettis is certainly a better grappler. Add in the few extra pounds that “Showtime” will carry when the two step inside the Octagon and you have a recipe for success for Pettis if the action hits the canvas.
Prediction: Holloway via unanimous decision