UFC Singapore: Holloway vs The Korean Zombie – 8.26.2023 – Fight Predictions and Analysis
Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC Singapore: Holloway vs The Korean Zombie. We got to enjoy an electric card in Boston last weekend, now action continues across the world in Singapore! Our analysis includes a pick for every bout from Dynes Sports contributors Anthony Marro and Nicholas Marro.
As coverage continues, we will keep our records up to date below. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick though as records will not reflect confidence. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few.
Current Record
- Anthony: 209-140-3 (Last Year 320-187-3, 63%)
- Nick: 221-128-3 (Last Year 324-183-3, 64%)
*Fight odds were last updated from Bet99 on 8-25-2023 at 5pm EST
Preliminary Card- Starts 5:00am EST
Seung Woo Choi -165 vs Jarno Errens +135
- Anthony: The card today begins with a fight at featherweight between Jarno Errens and Seung Woo Choi. It is hard to gauge the quality of fighter Errens may be but I identify him as the value side in this matchup given his fight style and overall grit. Errens has solid kickboxing and excellent offensive striking while on the front foot. He is a brown belt in judo with poor defensive wrestling and a willingness to play in his guard too often. Seung Woo Choi is a fringe top 25 featherweight who fights in an embarrassing style that has resulted in three consecutive losses. He will certainly be looking to strike with Errens despite a clear deficiency in Errens’ defense. Choi would likely take over if this fight were to hit the mat. Instead I see Errens eating the big strikes landed by Choi and returning with even bigger shots of his own. He is going to be more durable in a dog fight and far more high scoring in a slower pace match judged by its volume. There is no way I am betting Choi here after dropping three straight as the betting favorite. Jarno Errens by Round Two KO
- Nick: Jarno Errens seems relatively well-rounded when you watch him on film, but he really hasn’t been tested extensively against top level competition. He has a decent Judo base, but his defensive grappling ability seems to leave a lot to be desired. He has serious power for a featherweight, but he telegraphs many of his bigger shots which often leaves himself open to be countered. Errens is coming off a decision loss to William Gomis in his UFC debut. He had moments in that fight, but Gomis managed to stay a step ahead. Seung Woo Choi, a once highly regarded prospect out of South Korea, is coming off three consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He has surprising power for his frame on the feet, and excellent footwork and head movement defensively. He can be tentative at times, but his athleticism and overall explosiveness is what stands out when you watch him on film. Choi recently shifted camps to Kill Cliff FC. He’s training directly under Henry Hooft, one of the best striking coaches in the sport. Given the recent shift in camps, I expect we see considerable improvements from Choi here. This is a low confidence play given his general volatility, but I do see him as the rightful favorite. Seung Woo Choi by Decision
JJ Aldrich -550 vs Na Liang +400
- Anthony: Next is a matchup at women’s flyweight between JJ Aldrich and Na Liang. It feels like a must win for both fighters as they are entering this contest on 0-2 losing skids. Adrich is prohibitively favored after realizing more UFC success thus far. She is the more effective in terms of stuffing takedowns and controlling positions when these two will clinch. Liang feels like a live underdog here on Asian soil although her paths to victory are limited. She has good power in her strikes and could clip Aldrich with these two slinging shots in opposite stances. First round knockout may be her only path but that alone will keep me from betting on Aldrich today. While Aldrich dwarfs Liang in terms of technical skill, she is not very defensively sound or effective a finisher. This should be a bout that Aldrich pulls away and wins after a competitive first five minutes. JJ Aldrich by Decision
- Nick: Na Liang has been training at the UFC’s Performance Institute in China. She is primarily a grappler. She aggressively pursues takedowns in most of her fights as her gameplan is almost always to work her opponent to the mat for a Submission. She is 0-2 in the UFC, having been KO’d in each of her losses. Her striking defense is almost non-existent, which is likely going to cost her in this match-up. Aldrich has solid technical ability on the feet, but she’s had trouble in the past against bigger, more aggressive opponents. If she spends too much time on the defensive here she could fall as a heavy favorite, but as long as she stays defensively sound she should be able to secure a win in this match-up. The line feels wide, but I expect Aldrich to weather an early storm from Liang until she can take over and put her away. JJ Aldrich by Round Two KO
Yusaku Kinoshita -135 vs Billy Goff +115
- Anthony: This should be a very good welterweight matchup with Billy Goff set to face Yusaka Kinoshita. The debut for Kinoshita in February did not go according to plan, gassing and getting finished early against a mediocre opponent in Adam Fugitt. Goff will be a similar stylistic test for Kinoshita although he is far less effective on the mat. He should still pressure forward quite a bit and look to land when he can in the pocket. He certainly puts out better volume than Kinoshita although the single strikes are not quite as powerful. Kinoshita is a handful to deal with early, landing powerful kicks and very often connecting with his left hand. An edge in size and strength may result in Kinoshita overpowering and finishing Goff. Otherwise, I see this being a fight where the young Japanese prospect fades facing a man with better cardio and sticktoitiveness. It is a volatile fight to predict but I will side with Kinoshita in this buy-low opportunity. The odds have closed quite drastically on this fight with Yusaka opening a much larger favorite than the number he has settled on. Yusaka Kinoshita by Round One KO
- Nick: Kinoshita is fairly well-rounded, but he’s most comfortable fighting on the feet. He does a good job moving in and out of his opponents striking range. He draws his opponents into dangerous exchanges and his speed and overall athleticism make him dangerous against anyone. He was somewhat exposed his last time out, a loss via ground-and-pound in the first round against Adam Fugitt. Kinoshita was heavily favored in that match-up, but Fugitt took him down with relative ease and then broke him down for the finish. Billy Goff will be making his UFC debut here, following a Contender Series win via KO of Shimon Smotritsky. Goff is known for his excellent cardio and durability. He has been caught in exchanges before, but he has shown excellent recoverability and a desire to continue fighting even in the most compromising of positions. He has surprising power for his frame and he’s decent at striking in the pocket, but in this particular match-up he’d be wise to attempt to execute a more grappling heavy gameplan. Goff is going to be tough to put away here, but I do see Kinoshita as the rightful favorite. He’s the bigger fighter and the better technical striker. As long as he can stay off his back, he should get it done. Yusaku Kinoshita by Round Two KO
Rolando Bedoya -300 vs Kenan Song +240
- Anthony: This is an exciting welterweight fight with Kenan Song set to face Rolando Bedoya. It was an impressive UFC debut for Bedoya who lost a very close split decision to Khaos Williams. It was impressive watching him land nearly 150 significant strikes on the well established Williams. Bedoya not only throws with high volume but great accuracy, training with a wide cast of elite guys. Spending time in fight camp with Ian Garry certainly helps his cause seeing as Garry picked apart Song for fifteen minutes after getting dropped. He is clearly at an athletic advantage and clear speed edge in this bout. I think Bedoya can do great work with his jab here and convincingly beat a tough out in Song. We have seen Song drop his hands plenty of times before and Bedoya will be the much fresher fighter when this bout gets into round three. He seems like a very strong bet on a tough card to find spots this weekend. Rolando Bedoya by Round Three KO
- Nick: Bedoya is 14-1 professionally with four wins coming via KO and three coming via submission. He’s an extremely aggressive striker with a creative arsenal of attacks on the feet. He’s coming off a hard fought decision loss in his UFC debut, via narrow decision to a tough out in Khaos Williams. Song has Knockout power, but he doesn’t throw much in terms of volume. Nine of his nineteen wins have come via KO, but he hasn’t won a fight since February of 2020. He could pull off an upset here if Bedoya isn’t careful defensively, but I also expect Bedoya to lean on his grappling here if he needs to. The line is getting a bit ridiculous, but Bedoya should be a level above Song at this point in these fighter’s respective careers. I expect he can pick Song apart at range, and if he struggles at all on the feet he has a viable backup plan via his grappling advantage. Rolando Bedoya by Decision
Michal Oleksiejczuk -120 vs Chidi Njokuani +100
- Anthony: Next is a matchup at middleweight between Chidi Njokuani and Michal Oleksiejczuk. This is a very good piece of matchmaking with both men looking to bounce back from a loss in their last octagon appearance. Njokuani has dropped two straight bouts, falling to solid opponents in Albert Duraev and Gregory Rodrigues.Oleksiejczuk is a small step down in competition and I feel Chidi’s power advantage shines through in this fight. Oleksiejczuk is a well-rounded fighter but best when striking and landing big shots on the feet. He can perhaps match the boxing skills of Njokuani, I just feel Njokuani is much more fluid and sound technically while standing. Oleksiejczuk has the better durability and cardio but these two should be trading blows from the opening bell. Njokuani is further developed than Oleksiejczuk in terms of kickboxing and he is physically much bigger. Oleksiejczuk has the hand speed and power to finish Njokuani but I do not see this fight playing out in that manner. Njokuani’s powerful kicks and left hand will be what brings a stop to this contest. Chidi Njokuani by Round One KO
- Nick: Oleksiejczuk has serious KO power and he does a good job putting consistent pressure on his opponents. Additionally, he has developed a reputation as a fast starter with a lot of quick finishes. Oleksiejczkuk has shown a propensity to fade late in fights, but he’s always dangerous early. He’s most recently coming off a submission loss to Caio Borralho, but this match-up with Njokuani should be more favorable for him stylistically. Njokuani is an extremely gifted striker who does his best work at range. He showed in his Contender Series win over Mario Sousa that he has decent BJJ as well, but he is certainly most comfortable when his fights stay standing. He has since secured two wins under the UFC banner, both via KO. He is most recently coming off a controversial decision loss to Albert Duraev, a very close fight in which he was competitive throughout. Oleksiejczuk is going to have a power advantage here, but I expect Njokuani can pick him apart at range. It’s also favorable to Njokuani here that he can lean on his grappling if he needs to. Chidi Njokuani by Round Two KO
Garrett Armfield -165 vs Toshiomi Kazama +135
- Anthony: This should be an intense scrap at bantamweight with Garrett Armfield facing Toshiomi Kazama. I am not convinced either one of these guys are all that good but I am very excited to see some exchanges between these two on the mat. Kazama is a bit of a submission specialist with half of his professional wins thus far coming by way of the tap. Armfield has been submitted quite a few times before but he seems confident in his wrestling and ability to win fights from top position. Both guys are dangerous on the feet but with Kazama getting sparked his last time out, I understand questions regarding his chin. Armfield likely does overwhelm him in a kickboxing style matchup while it is anyone’s guess as to what transpires when these two begin to roll. I will be interested to see who shoots the first takedown and how quickly Kazama can get to a position to at least threaten the sub. As the underdog I think he is a good bet here with a few paths to winning this fight against Armfield. Toshiomi Kazama by Round One Submission
- Nick: Toshiomi Kazama is fairly well-rounded but he’s most comfortable grappling and chasing submissions. He seems decent on the feet, but he is coming off a brutal KO to Rinya Nakamura and his chin/durbality seem to be more of a weakness than a strength. Garrett Armfield is coming off a loss in his UFC debut, but that fight took place up a weight class on very short notice against a dangerous opponent in David Onama. He’ll be returning to bantamweight here at 26-years old with an 8-3 professional record. Each of Armfield’s last two losses came via submission. As a result, Kazama has a decent chance to pull off the upset. That being said, I do see Armfield as the rightful favorite. He’s training out of an excellent camp via Kill Cliff FC. He should come into this one ready to defend submissions. As long as he does early, this feels like his fight to win or lose. Garrett Armfield by Decision
Waldo Cortes-Acosta -225 vs Lukasz Brzeski +180
- Anthony: The featured prelim is a bout at heavyweight between Lukasz Brzeski and Waldo Cortes-Acosta. This can be classified as a grappler versus striker matchup. Salsa Boy Cortes-Acosta is a very skilled striker utilizing good footwork and high volume to pick apart most foes. He is landing more than seven significant strikes per minute and accurate on more than half of all attempts thrown. There is a clear technical edge for Cortes-Acosta striking just as is the case for Brzeski here grappling. Cortes-Acosta does defend 60 percent of takedowns despite being grounded and controlled by Pezao de Lima his last time out. Brzeski has a good chance of winning if successful executing that grapple heavy gameplan but I am not entirely certain he will find success. It will be difficult to get inside the range of Cortes-Acosta and take down a man who weighs at least 40 pounds more. Brzeski likely gets pieced up. Waldo Cortes-Acosta by Decision
- Nick: Cortes-Acosta is 9-1 professionally, coming off his first career loss via decision to Marcos Rogério de Lima. He’s athletic for a heavyweight and he has shown decent cardio at this level, but his power is a bit of a question mark as he’s really only KO’d mediocre competition. Both of his UFC wins came via decision. Lukasz Brzeski is 8-3-1 professionally, coming off a decision loss to Karl Williams in which he was outgrappled for three rounds. He’s athletic, but his technical ability in both his striking and grappling is far from refined. He has decent power on the feet, but he telegraphs most of his strikes. This creates openings for his opponents to either take him down or counter him. The line feels too wide here given the low-level nature of this match-up, but I do see the more athletic Cortes-Acosta as the rightful favorite. Waldo Cortes-Acosta by Decision
Main Card- Starts 8:00am EST
Justin Tafa -150 vs Parker Porter +125
- Anthony: The main card opens with a heavyweight contest between Junior Tafa and Parker Porter. I find this a very difficult matchup to call. Junior Tafa is nowhere near as good as his brother Justin, but Porter was finished by big bro just six months ago. I struggle to back Porter against heavyweights with elite striking and speed, but Junior Tafa is not as technically sound a kickboxer as many think. He has numerous losses in Glory competition and a professional loss in his most recent MMA bout. Mohammed Usman got the better of Tafa via split decision and that gives me some confidence backing Porter today. If nothing else I like the forward pressure and volume that Porter tends to throw. He is efficient when it comes to offensive grappling and depending on the size of Tafa in the cage, Porter could win minutes utilizing position on the fence or inside a muay thai clinch. I’m not confident predicting he will score takedowns in this bout but it would certainly not surprise me to see him ground Tafa. I won’t be betting heavy on a sketchy matchup like this, but Porter does seem like a live underdog. I like his chances of pulling away late in this matchup if he can survive the first round. Parker Porter by Decision
- Nick: This is a low-level match-up featuring two plodding heavyweights. Tafa is only 4-1 professionally in MMA, but he has also fought professionally in both Muay Thai and kickboxing. Primarily a striker, Tafa is athletic for a heavy weight. He does well striking at range. He has advanced footwork and surprising speed, and all four of his professional wins in MMA have come via KO. He’s coming off a loss in his UFC debut to Mohamed Usman, a fight in which he was mostly outgrappled. There’s really nothing exciting about Porter when you watch him on film, but he does have power in his strikes and a surprisingly decent gas tank given his visible lack of athleticism. Porter has shown solid durability and surprisingly technical boxing ability so far in the UFC. In this particular match-up, he’d be wise to lean on a grappling heavy gameplan. Porter is a decent wrestler, especially offensively. He averages 1.38 takedowns per fifteen minutes. Another low-level match-up and a low-confidence play, but I do expect Porter to score the takedowns he needs to grind this one out. Parker Porter by Decision
Erin Blanchfield -150 vs Taila Santos +125
- Anthony: Next we have a bout at women’s flyweight between Erin Blanchfield and Taila Santos. With two ranked fighters going at it, this should really be higher up the fight card. It has been more than a year hiatus for Santos who fell short in her challenge for undisputed gold last summer. She was booked to face Blanchfield in February of this year but the match was eventually rescheduled due to visa issues. It will be interesting to see her 78 percent takedown defense tested against a highly skilled grappler like Blanchfield. The young prospect is 5-0 since joining the UFC and currently on an eight-fight winning streak. She proved herself against Jessica Andrade her last time out, finishing the former champion early in round two. I am a huge fan of her top pressure and the risks she takes in dominant position. I think she can negate the ground skills possessed by Santos and even turn this into a striking match if that were her desire. Santos has knocked down a few girls before but her power is not very crippling. Blanchfield should be able to eat shots on the feet and continue moving forward with the more active and accurate hands. This is likely going to result in a close decision and while I am tempted to bet Blanchfield I probably will not be. Santos has proven to be a legitimate contender and may push Blanchfield harder than we’ve seen before. Erin Blanchfield by Decision
- Nick: We have an excellent women’s match-up here between two top contenders at flyweight. Santos is a crisp and powerful striker who has continued to show major improvements on the mat. She has been out of action since she lost a controversial decision to Valentina Shevchenko for the title. She did an excellent job closing distance and landing on the then champion in that match-up. She was also able to control Schevchenko on the mat, and many felt she should have been awarded the win on the scorecards. Erin Blanchfield is coming off impressive wins over Jessica Andrade, Miranda Maverick and JJ Aldrich. She’s primarily a grappler with a solid wrestling base, decent technical ability on the feet and an extremely high Fight IQ. She’s fairly slow and plodding when she strikes, but she puts out a lot of volume. She does an excellent job using her strikes to set up her takedown attempts and once she’s on top she does a good job using her weight to hold position. She continues to make considerable improvements as she’s only 24-years old, and many have her pegged as a future champion at 125 pounds. Santos will be dangerous on the feet here, but I do expect Blanchfield to secure takedowns when she needs to. Her aggressive style should keep Santos fighting off her back foot. Erin Blanchfield by Decision
Rinya Nakamura -900 vs Fernie Garcia +600
- Anthony: This is a bantamweight contest between Fernie Garcia and the undefeated Rinya Nakamura. Nobody impressed me more competing on Road to the UFC than Rinya Nakamura. He won his promotional debut in under a minute and I see a very bright young future ahead for the Japanese star. The young man grew up in the shadow of the Saitama Super Arena and now looks to carry on the fighting spirit of Japan at the highest level. He was a junior wrestling champion and has an incredibly effective grappling inside of the octagon. Nakamura should dictate the style of the fight against Garcie who relies quite heavily on his boxing. If Nakamura elects to grapple, I expect him to make quick work overwhelming Garcia on the mat. He is less technically sound on the feet but he does hit just as hard as Garcia. Nakamura has good attacks from range, closing the distance fast with kicks and unorthodox combinations. I think he has serious potential to rise the ranks of this division and beat some of the bigger names. I am picking him with confidence to get the win today. It is hard to find value on the guys at odds this wide but a bet to win by finish seems like easy profit to me. Rinya Nakamura by Round One Submission
- Nick: Garcia is a pressure style boxer who does his best work on the feet. He’s a BJJ purple belt, but there is no denying he is most comfortable fighting at striking range. He is 0-2 in the UFC, coming off back-to-back losses, and there’s a decent chance he’s fighting for his roster spot in this match-up. Rinya Nakamura has a compact and muscular frame. He seems advanced everywhere as a dangerous striker with power in all of his limbs. His extremely aggressive style can occasionally leave him there to be countered, but his athleticism and speed has kept him safe up to this point in his career. As impressive as his striking is, he’s also a high level wrestler. He looks excellent in scrambles and he seems to know how to find takedowns from a wide range of positions. The line is getting wide on this one, but Nakamura should roll here. He should be the superior fighter no matter where this fight takes place. Rinya Nakamura by Round One Submission
Giga Chikadze -250 vs Alex Cacers +200
- Anthony: The featured bout is a featherweight match between Giga Chikadze and Alex Caceres. This is the first octagon appearance for Chikadze since standing opposite Calvin Kattar and taking the beating of a lifetime. He lost that five-round contest in January of 2022, halting his win streak at a mere nine in a row. This is a great opportunity for Chikadze to bounce back after some time on the sidelines. Stylistically Caceres is a great draw given his method of fighting at range and utilizing karate. Chikadze is a very sharp kickboxer that should be able to punish Caceres on the feet. Bruce Leeroy does well in close utilizing clinch work and offensive grappling, but when it comes to closing the distance on opponents he is never the most reliable. He will struggle to exchange inside the pocket with Chikadze, instead relying on push kicks and ranged attacks to score points. I think the Chikadze side will be the only one in this bout throwing meaningful combinations. I think he can take more risks than usual in this bout knowing that Caceres lacks traditional knockout power. I do not worry about Chikadze’s lights getting turned out after he absorbed more than 150 strikes from Kattar. Caceres’ best chance at winning in my opinion is a lucky submission or close split decision. Chikadze appears to be good money and I am betting him here with confidence today. Giga Chikadze by Decision
- Nick: This is an excellent main event match-up between two of the division’s more technically gifted strikers. Chikadze is a high-level kickboxer who is excellent when striking at range. He throws extremely powerful kicks and his countering ability is extremely advanced. He has been out of action since he fell to Calvin Kattar back in January of 2022, but before that he had strung together an impressive seven-fight win streak under the UFC banner. Caceres is a highly technical striker that does an excellent job managing distance. He doesn’t carry much power, but he does a good job landing from unconventional angles. Caceres pushes a serious pace and generally does a good job keeping his opponents on their heels. His grappling continues to improve, and he’s a threat to finish via submission if he can find his opponents’ back. Given Chikadze’s long layoff this is a low confidence play, but he should be able to win this one on volume and superior technical striking at range. Caceres will be live for the upset if this fight hits the mat, but that seems fairly unlikely. Giga Chikadze by Decision
Ryan Spann -130 vs Anthony Smith +110
- Anthony: The co-main event is a bout at light heavyweight between Ryan Spann and Anthony Smith. This contest is a rematch of a fight less than two years ago that saw Smith finish Spann with a first round rear naked choke. Since then Smith has lost two bouts, but I am not ready to write him off quite yet. Magomed Ankalaev is a title challenger that Spann would also likely struggle against, and the bout between Smith and Walker was competitive despite Lionheart absorbing significant damage to his legs. At 35 years old, it’s safe to say Smith’s best years are behind him but that does not mean he will drop this fight against Spann. Smith is the far better technical striker and while Spann is the more powerful man on the feet, it was Smith who scored the knockdown in the two’s first meeting. Smith has a clear edge grappling in this fight and if he is able to survive the early onslaught from Spann I expect him to rise to the occasion and win again. Spann is a volatile fighter with a kill or be killed attitude. As the underdog I feel there is value in Anthony Smith. He has the more complete skill set and more measured offensive attacks. Anthony Smith by Round One Submission
- Nick: This fight represents a rematch of a fight that took place back in September of 2021. Smith won that match-up via submission in the first round. Smith has shown outstanding cardio, and even in his recent losses he has shown excellent durability. Even when he’s getting crushed, he is difficult or impossible to put away. He is certainly in the twilight of his career as he’s 35-years old and coming off back-to-back losses. At his best he’s a well-rounded fighter who is good pretty much everywhere. He has excellent BJJ, technically sound striking ability and he does a good job weaponizing his cardio and taking over fights in the later rounds. He’s been utilizing his jab much more effectively of late. He’s shown improvements in his footwork as well, but his durability seems to be declining at a dramatic rate and his reaction time is slowing as well. Spann carries a lot of power and sneaky submission ability, but he’s been extremely inconsistent since he debuted with the UFC. His cardio has proven to be an issue in many of his recent fights, and his Fight IQ is questionable at best. He’s coming off a submission loss to Nikita Krylov, a fight in which his overaggressive nature cost him in the first round. That fight played out similarly to Spann’s first match-up with Smith. Given Smith’s age and declining durability this is a low confidence play, but there is certainly value in him as the underdog. I expect he can once again get his grappling going early until he finds a quick finish. Anthony Smith by Round One Submission
Max Holloway -800 vs The Korean Zombie +550
- Anthony: The main event is a showdown at featherweight between Max Holloway and The Korean Zombie Chan Sung Jung. This could very well be the retirement fight for Zombie after what was a brutal beatdown his last time out. Holloway has always been a fight that The Korean Zombie wanted and it comes at the perfect time with Max still at top of the featherweight heap. Zombie still has great power and explosive attacks, but generally he has fought much slower and less versatile these past several years. He is marching forward consistently and likely going to struggle against such a high volume striker as Holloway. The boxing of Holloway is incredibly crisp, ripping to the body and head while landing north of seven significant strikes per minute. He has torn through everybody the past decade with the only blemishes coming against Dustin Poirier and Alexander Volkanovski. Max will be -800 against just about anyone with a style so perfectly suited for this sport. I could see him engaging a bit more often with Zombie in the clinch or against the fence in this fight but regardless of method I see Holloway winning easily. Zombie needs a miraculous knockout to win this fight and he faces a man with one of the UFC’s best chins. This should be a fun battle but Holloway will not wear nearly the damage The Korean Zombie will. It is an emotional fight for the former champion given the current tragedy affecting his home state of Hawaii. Max Holloway by Round Three KO
- Nick: The Korean Zombie, is an extremely well-rounded mixed martial artist. He’s primarily a striker, but he’s also a black belt in BJJ with eight professional victories coming by way of submission. He’s no longer the kill or be killed fighter he was known as in his ascension to stardom, but he’s still extremely dangerous on the feet with some of the most devastating power in the world at 145. As talented as The Korean Zombie is, he is expected to retire very soon. He has slowed down considerably over his last few fights, most recently suffering a brutal beating at the hands of champion Alexander Volkanovski. Holloway holds most volume/output striking records, not only at featherweight, but across all of the UFC. He has outstanding head movement, near flawless footwork, and against inferior strikers he’s known to put on unforgettable performances. He showed a willingness to grapple in his 2021 match-up with Yair Rodriguez, but I fully expect him to mostly stand and trade here as he looks to build on an already outstanding legacy. Holloway lands more than seven significant strikes per minute and he absorbs less than five. TKZ lands just under four per minute, but absorbs more than four per minute. TKZ could find some success early here, but Holloway’s high-volume striking is likely going to be too much for him as this fight wears on. The line has gotten ridiculous, but Holloway is certainly the side. He is still one of the best in the world at 145 lbs and TKZ could retire following this matchup. Max Holloway by Round Four KO
-Nick Marro
Twitter: @NickMarroDFS
-Anthony Marro
Twitter: @AnthonyMarro_
Photo: UFC.com