Max Holloway will jump up in weight class on just six days’ notice to take on Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title at UFC 223. Nurmagomedov opened as a sizable -550 favorite with Holloway coming back at +375.
Holloway is a late replacement for Tony Ferguson, who was injured in a freak accident just days before the title fight. This marks the fourth time in as many years that Ferguson vs Nurmagomedov was scheduled to happen, only for one of the fighters to pull out.
With a master of sambo and a black belt in judo, Khabib excels at suffocating his opponent – possibly more than any other fighter in the UFC. Nurmagomedov is relentless in his pursuit of the takedown, and holds the record for most takedowns in a single match in UFC history (21), but is far from out of his element when it comes to striking. Khabib has a deadly array of punches and knees that can easily set up a T/KO victory.
Holloway is riding a 12-fight winning streak – in one of the most talent-laden divisions in the UFC – with nine of those wins coming via stoppage. The Hawaiian possesses incredible footwork that allows him to cut angles and be aggressive in the standup game. Holloway will generally want to pressure his opponent against the cage and unleash big combos. His defensive wrestling is elite, with no opponent taking him down in his past nine fights.
This will be a big test for Holloway, jumping up in weight and taking on one of the most feared fighters in MMA on less than a week’s notice. However, if Holloway wins, he becomes just the fifth UFC fighter to hold belts in multiple weight divisions and just the second to do so simultaneously.
- Khabib Nurmagomedov -450
- Max Holloway +325
