Detroit is becoming a good one, since the Octagon takes up residence at the Motor City for UFC 218 on December 2. The most important event is a rematch between featherweight champion Max Holloway and Jose Aldo, who owned the division for almost a decade.
But this card is much more than just the major event. The PPV portion of this card also features a banger of a heavyweight fight between Alistair Overeem and Francis Ngannou, in addition to a bout between Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez to ascertain who is the most brutal fighter in the company.
Max Holloway vs Jose Aldo
Max Holloway (-300) has a game plan built on great fundamentals and footwork. “Blessed” is constantly angling and moving his feet to discover the best chance to strike, working a pressure-based style. That being said, Holloway is also plenty capable of using his height and reach advantage that he typically retains to stick-and-move. The Hawaiian enjoys bullying his opponent against the cage where he could set his feet and toss wicked combinations.
Grappling is not something that Holloway partakes in his incredible takedown defense — he has not been taken down in his past eight fights — signifies his opposition rarely has the chance to. His size generally leads to Holloway having a massive leverage advantage if the battle goes to the clinch, which permits him to break easily and get back to area.
Jose Aldo’s (+230) game is built around shield and timing. Though that does not sound the sexiest, it’s allowed”Scarface” to methodically dismantle virtually every competitor in his way. He is more of a counter-striker who will wait on his opponent to commit before angling off, with a number of the best footwork in MMA, to property a stinging punch or trademark low kick. However, this did not occur in the first fight. Aldo ended up throwing first — and leaving himself open — rather than throwing leg kicks, which was a huge issue.
Concerning grappling, it’s largely utilized medicinally for Aldo. The Brazilian has some of the best defensive wrestling ever seen in MMA and, on the rare occasion when he can get taken down, he has the grappling ability to cause a scramble and get back to his feet. Though he rarely uses it , Aldo is a solid wrestler in his own right. Again, he combines great technical abilities with his amazing timing to burst into takedowns. Once on top, Aldo’s rarely seen BJJ black belt takes over and that he moves effortlessly.
I just don’t think much has changed since the very first battle. Holloway will enter confident and will still have a decided advantage concerning size. If Aldo is patient and gets back to his leg-kicking ways, then this could be a tight fight. But, I don’t think there’s an obvious path to success for Aldo.
Prediction: Max Holloway (-300)

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