Aldo vs Holloway
Jose Aldo will return to compete in his home country for the first time in almost three years, the interim champion Max Holloway is the man who stands between Aldo and the undisputed featherweight championship.
The most decorated featherweight in all of MMA is in the process of trying to regain some of the respect he lost in that early KO loss against Conor McGregor, we live in a time where it’s too easily forgotten how dominant Jose was as champion instead focusing on a single loss. Aldo’s run of seven title defenses in the span of four years against credible contenders was nothing short of outstanding.
Aldo’s return after the loss to McGregor was against Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 in July earlier this year, Edgar was riding a 5 fight win streak and betting favorite heading into the rematch. Jose Aldo although an underdog showed everybody that he’s still one of the best in the world, dispatching an improved Edgar just as impressively as the first time.
Still, only 30 years old I feel Aldo has enough time to restore the adoration he once received a few years back. Beating Max Holloway would be a perfect place to start.
Holloway has earned a title shot the hard way, hurdling fighter after fighter slowly climbing the ranks taking on guy’s with all different bases and fighting styles. The run of nine straight victories has been invaluable because, at the tender age of 25, Holloway already has an amazing record full of talented fighters with many years left to compete in the sport.
Is this a case of Holloway catching Aldo at the right time in his career or has the title shot come too soon, all questions will be answered on Saturday night.
Claudia Gadelha vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Who couldn’t be excited at the prospect of the #1 and #2 fighters in a weight division locking horns?. Both have come up short against the champion Joanna jedrzejczyk but with this contest, each woman has the chance to put themselves right back into the mix.
Claudia Gadehla has two losses to Joanna however, both fights were pretty close so although it’s a hard sell an impressive performance against Karolina could go a long way to getting one final crack at the champ. Having recently moved to Albuquerque in an attempt to add some new things to her game it’s clear Gadehla is very determined to take the necessary steps to try and close the gap between herself and Joanna.
Kowalkiewicz’s fight with Joanna was not as close as Gadehla’s but she did rock Joanna pretty good, the worst she’s been hurt during her UFC run that’s for sure. This week Karolina has been vocal about how that loss still irritates her so she needs no extra motivation to get a victory this weekend.
Potential fight of the night
Erick Silva vs Yancy Medeiros
Silva once considered a top welterweight prospect has fallen off the radar in recent times, what he brings to the octagon is his aggressive brand of striking that makes for a wild fight. Medeiros welcomes the chance to exchange and isn’t shy to have a tear up himself, we saw that in his fight with Francisco Trinaldo. The two styles should come together nicely to give fans a fight worthy to kick-off the main card.
Main Card Picks
Jose Aldo vs Max Holloway (Aldo)
Claudia Gadelha vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz (Gadelha)
Vitor Belfort vs Nate Marquardt (Belfort)
Paulo Borrachinha vs Oluwale Bamgbose (Borrachinha)
Erick Silva vs Yancy Medeiros (Medeiros)
