UFC 212 kicks off in Rio de Janeiro on June 3, 2017 with Jose Aldo taking on Max Holloway in the title fight. Also on the main card is Claudia Gadelha who will slug it out with Karolina Kowalkiewicz. While the night may lack a former middleweight champion, there is much to look forward to at UFC 212. There are a few notable fights in the undercard but let’s see what the main bout in the featherweight division between Aldo and Holloway may be like.
Aldo (26-2) came back to hold the title in November after Conor McGregor was stripped of the title. However, both Aldo and Holloway (17-3) have some ugly losses to their credit. The former was defeated in 13 seconds while Holloway dropped three clean rounds to McGregor who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. That being said, this bout is likely to be one of the best MMA contests so far in 2017.
Aldo is known for his low-risk, striking game and takedown defense that brought him victories against Chad Mendes, Urijah Faber, and Frankie Edgar, to name a few. This has made him one of the greatest fighters of all time where many have failed to build momentum against him. However, Holloway too can match up to Aldo. Following a 3-3 start to his UFC, he slipped to the bottom of the division but slowly worked his way to the top, which included 10 straight wins against a variety of opponents including former champions. Aldo may still be a favorite but there’s always the possibility of Holloway using his finesse and prowess to get the better of him. Holloway is a fighter who likes to pile on the pressure and push a high pace. He’s also got an impressive average of 5.67 significant strikes landed per minute compared to Aldo’s 3.28 per minutes. Aldo does tend to pick and choose his moves at a slower pace.
We should see a great tug of war with both fighters working to their game plan. The fighter that turns out to be more active will have the advantage, which is why we could potentially see the Hawaiian Holloway get the better of Aldo by a unanimous decision.