Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight contenders Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira will battle this Sunday (Aug. 23, 2015) at UFC Fight Night 74 inside SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
After losing a pair of bouts in 2013, Holloway has since put together a six fight win streak. He's really come into his own as a fighter, shoring up the holes in his defense and developing his kickboxing greatly.
Meanwhile, Oliveira also has lived up to his potential in the last year or so. He's still incredible dangerous on the mat, but he's much more effective with his Muay Thai and isn't quite as easy to hit.
Let's take a look at the keys to victory for both of these rising stars:
Max Holloway
Record: 13-3
Key Wins: Cub Swanson (UFC on FOX 15), Andre Fili (UFC 172), Cole Miller (UFC Fight Night 60)
Key Losses: Conor McGregor (UFC Fight Night 26), Dennis Bermudez (UFC 160)
Keys to Victory: Holloway has become one of the better kickboxers in the sport. He utilizes his range very well, switches stances smoothly, and will mix flashier techniques into his attack fairly often.
For Holloway, the name of the game is intelligent pressure. Oliveira is very much an offense-first fighter in just about every way, but he's often able to get away with it. When Oliveira is pushing the pace with dangerous strikes and sudden takedown attempts, it can be difficult to counter him or regain momentum.
To avoid that, Holloway needs to start this bout quickly and keep Oliveira on his back foot. When Holloway is working behind his jab and moving forward, he's a very dangerous striker. Plus, Oliveira is not the best with reactionary shots -- he prefers to drive his opponent into the fence and work from there -- so Holloway's strong takedown defense should hold up.
Oliveira knows he's better when he leads, and he'll surely fire off some heavy combinations and look to brawl with Holloway if necessary in order to assert himself. Holloway usually fights fire with fire in such exchanges, but it's important for him to use his superior footwork to circle away and reset.
Then, he can return to playing his game once Oliveira settles down.
VS.
Charles Oliveira
Record: 19-4 (1)
Key Wins: Nik Lentz (UFC Fight Night 67), Jeremy Stephens (TUF 20 Finale), Hatsu Hioki (UFC Fight Night 43)
Key Losses: Frankie Edger (UFC 162), Cub Swanson (UFC 152), Jim Miller (UFC 124)
Keys to Victory: Oliveira is perhaps the most potent grappler in mixed martial arts (MMA) today. A bold statement, but very few men have been throwing up and landing a wide range of submissions with as much consistency and success as "Do Bronx."
Additionally, the rest of his game is fairly strong as well. Oliveira's wrestling, while ugly at times, is effective, and his Muay Thai is very dangerous.
To defeat Holloway, Oliveira needs to bring the fight to his opponent. He should avoid being reckless if possible, but Oliveira wants no part of a technical kickboxing match with the Hawaiian.
Instead, Oliveira should attempt to overwhelm Holloway with offense immediately, or at the very least, suck him into a brawl. So long as Oliveira is leading the dance, he should be able to maneuver his opponent against the fence, which is his prime opportunity to land a takedown.
And despite Holloway's own jiu-jitsu improvements, he should also be terrified of going to the mat with Oliveira.
Bottom Line: Both of these men entered the UFC at a young age, suffered some tough losses, and came through the other side as extremely talented fighters. Now, one of them will officially enter the title mix.
For those who don't care about all the fallout, these two are among the most entertaining athletes on the roster. This fight is an absolute must-watch.
With each fighter in essentially the same position, the consequences are largely the same for either man. With a win here, either man will end up in a bout with one of featherweight's proven elite competitors, likely in a title eliminator. Depending on how the division shakes out, the winner could even find himself challenging for the belt in his next scrap.
Alternatively, a loss will put a delay on entering the title mix. Since each man has more than proven himself a member of the top 10, it wouldn't be a devastating setback. Really, the loser could be in the same position once again in less than a year.
At UFC Fight Night 74, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira will collide in the main event. Which man will remain standing when the dust settles?