Holloway vs. Oliveira 2 Breakdown

Pre-Fight

“The narrative is for this fight – If we can keep it on the feet, it’s me, and if we go to the ground, it’s like 200% [Oliveira]. Which is crazy. I feel like we both fought at the highest levels… Never say never. My coaches just keep seeing interviews of me talking about jiu-jitsu and subbing him, and they laugh. But at the end of the day, people call me crazy, a BMF thing to do would be to submit a submission artist,” Holloway stated 

“It’s definitely huge. It’s one more thing that I can add to my legacy. It’s one more achievement. It’s great. I think that last fight [against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio] I made a statement, I sent a message to everyone in the division. The lion is still hungry and I definitely think I’m going to make another run for it and I’m going to become a champion,” Oliveira said

The Approach

Tactically, Max relies on a high-volume jab and constant lateral movement to build a lead. Expect Holloway to utilize feints to draw out Oliveira’s aggressive front kicks and knees. If Holloway can keep the fight in the “pocket” without letting it turn into a clinch war, he can use his superior boxing—specifically his ability to switch levels and target the body—to deplete Oliveira’s gas tank over five rounds.

Oliveira uses his striking as a delivery system for his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He will likely use aggressive Muay Thai to force Holloway against the fence. Because Max is notoriously difficult to take down traditionally, Oliveira might look for reactive takedowns or pull Holloway into a clinch to initiate a “backpack” transition.