UFC 217 was simply the best card put on by the pre-eminent mma organisation in years. There were three titles on the line, all three were surrendered in stunning fashion. Joanna Jedrzejczyk tapped due to strikes after dominating the women’s strawweight division for two years, T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt finally met in the ring after their soap opera falling out – Dillashaw walking away with the precious metal, and a bloodied and oversized George St Pierre took the middleweight title off Michael Bisping by rear naked choke.
UFC 218 has a lot to live up to. Thankfully the main event is one to savour.
Holloway vs Aldo
UFC 218: Max Holloway returns for his first defence of the featherweight title he won at UFC 212. His opponent? José Aldo, the man Holloway beat to the title in Rio de Janeiro in June. This match-up is arguably an improvement on the original intention. Frankie Edgar has been chasing a title shot in this division for years now and was set to face Holloway this weekend until withdrawing with an undisclosed injury. Aldo was more than eager to step in and now has an unexpected opportunity to bounce back from his most recent defeat.
It’s still relatively easy to make a case for José Aldo despite the fact he’s lost two of his last three fights. The Brazilian is a supreme striker. Most will remember the wince-inducing leg kicks he visited upon a host of opponents in the nine years he went unbeaten in the octagon. At 31, Aldo has the edge in out and out experience, and in championship rounds experience.
In fact, Max Holloway has never seen rounds four or five. The Hawaiian native has however blasted through a stacked division to define himself as the class of the field. His 11 fight win streak is intimidating to say the least, he’s never been knocked out or submitted, and his striking and footwork are stellar.
Holloway is a strong favourite here at 1.37, and certainly Aldo has never been so long at 3.25. Thankfully we have quite recent evidence to base our betting off as these two fought only a few short months ago. Holloway got off to a slow start, another lethargic first round or two here and he could be in trouble. Provided He’s learned from his recent experience in the octagon with Aldo, he should have too much for the Brazilian veteran.
Best Bet
Holloway to win at 1.37 is short, but it’s short for good reason. A 37 per cent return on your investment is nothing to sneeze at, he’s the coming man in MMA and Aldo is heading the other direction.
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