Max Holloway’s title reign will start with an immediate rematch. With Frankie Edgar out of this Saturday’s UFC 218 main event, former champion Jose Aldo will get a chance to win back the featherweight belt he once held for nearly five years. The pair first collided at UFC 212 this past June, with Holloway notching a third-round TKO and walking away with the belt.
Can Aldo reverse the outcome this time around? Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and go over your betting options.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Max Holloway -298
Jose Aldo +230
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -150, under +130
Matchup Preview
In the first matchup, Aldo started off strong, landing clean, technical combinations to take the first round. Holloway, normally a very fast starter, did little in the first round, trying to find his rhythm and range. For a guy that that lands nearly six strikes a minute, Holloway threw puzzlingly little strikes for the first two rounds.
It turned out that was the plan all along, as “Blessed” and his team felt that Aldo was at his most dangerous early, with a gas tank that could be exploited later. As the third round started, we started to see the typical, high octane Max Holloway, who started pouring on dynamic kick-punch combinations. Though Aldo was able to land a few counters, Holloway marched him down and put him away before the round ended.
The victory was a decisive one, making it easy to believe that Holloway is a surefire pick. Aldo has long had issues with his cardio, while Holloway is a fighter with a non-stop motor. Making things worse for the Brazilian is Holloway’s iron chin - Aldo’s quick and powerful enough to ice most dudes with a single combination, but he cannot seem to do so with Holloway.
So is there any path to a win for Aldo? Possibly. For starters, he can get back to the debilitating leg kicks that were his bread-and-butter during his early UFC days. Why he’s gone away from it is puzzling to many observers, as it was one of the best weapons in the entire fight game. Yet against Holloway and Frankie Edgar before him, Aldo barely threw any. Softening up the legs of an aggressive fighter like “Blessed” would help the Brazilian fight at his preferred pace.
For Holloway, the game plan wouldn’t have to change much. As long as he fights smart and keeps pressuring, Aldo will inevitably tire. He didn’t even utilize his stance-switching the first time and was able to fold “Scarface”. As long as he turns it up and maintains good defense, the champ should be able to keep the belt.
UFC Betting Tips
The price on Holloway is a bit high, but it’s a safe enough play to use as a parlay booster. If you’re looking for a single bet payout, take the champ inside the distance - his strengths just so happen to be Aldo’s weaknesses, and he should have the utmost confidence having already prevailed before.
UFC Odds Pick: Holloway inside the distance -120
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
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UFC 218 takes place on Saturday, December 2, 2017 at the Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit Michigan. The card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET.
