Max Holloway reveals if preparation for Ilia Topuria is different from Justin Gaethje fight
Max Holloway has discussed his preparation for Ilia Topuria versus how he prepared for Justin Gaethje.
Holloway is set to challenge Topuria for the UFC Featherweight Championship on October 26th. The title fight will headline UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. It’s a chance for “Blessed” to become a two-time 145-pound titleholder, which would add to an already stellar career.
Holloway is fresh off a scintillating last-second knockout win over Gaethje at UFC 300 back in April. He has revealed whether or not preparation for Topuria differs from how he geared up for Gaethje.
Max Holloway on Prep Changes for Ilia Topuria Fight
In a new video posted on his YouTube channel, Max Holloway admitted that Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje are two vastly different fighters. With that said, the prep work isn’t a drastic change (via MMAFighting.com).
“It’s MMA. Every guy, every opponent is different,” Holloway said. “Is Ilia different from Gaethje? Yes. Is the training for Gaethje versus Ilia different? Yes. But it’s the same. It’s MMA. It’s what we do. I fight a certain style, I fight a certain way. Opponents change but we try to stay the same… It’s MMA. You’re going to have to make shifts, especially when certain guys you’re fighting. Are Gaethje and Ilia the same opponent? No. Very different guys, very different approaches we’re going to use.”
Holloway went on to say that he learned a lot from Topuria’s knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski. Holloway said the fight made him take concussions more seriously. He knew the chatter about Volkanovski returning to the Octagon too soon after being stopped via head kick by UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
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