When Daniel Cormier went down with a groin injury, his main even fight against Anthony Johnson for the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 206 was thrown out the window. Desperate to keep the pay-per-view card intact, the UFC promoted the co-main event between Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis as the new main event for the interim featherweight title.
Funny how quick things can change, right?
While some fight fans might see this as a fake title fight that was thrown together at the last minute, the reality is that this featherweight matchup is still going to be really, really entertaining.
Holloway is on an incredible nine-fight win streak dating back to his decision loss to Conor McGregor back in 2013, while Pettis is licking his chops to get ahold of his second UFC title in two different weight classes (featherweight and lightweight).
Pettis is 1-3 in his last four fights but is 1-0 in the featherweight after submitting Charles Oliveira back in August. Before we get into fight predictions and pre-fight hype, let's take a look at the odds surrounding this bout from OddsShark.com.
| Fighter | Odds |
| Max Holloway | -200 |
| Anthony Pettis | +175 |
OddsShark
Holloway is favored in this fight and for good reason. No fighter in the UFC, regardless of weight class, deserves a title shot more than Holloway. A nine-fight win streak that saw him finish his opponent six times with wins over the likes of Cub Swanson, the aforementioned Oliveira, Jeremy Stephens and Ricardo Lamas is pretty impressive, to say the least.
With so many fights under his belt in the UFC, it's still hard to believe that Holloway is only 25 years old.
At 25, Max Holloway is coming into his own. So I wrote about this peculiar fellow. https://t.co/cbavDAAfOf
— Chuck Mindenhall (@ChuckMindenhall) December 8, 2016
Most fight fans know all about what "Showtime" Pettis can do inside of the Octagon. When he's in the mood, Pettis can be a nightmare in the cage with his strikes that come at you from any angle. He's pretty good on the mat, too.
Holloway is an athletic freak just like Pettis, and while he may not have the technical ability or skill-set that Pettis does, no one can question the Hawaiian's heart or desire to throw down.
.@BlessedMMA provided one of the best moments in UFC history. Could he do it again at #ufc206 vs @Showtimepettis? https://t.co/8sCzDe7oNq
— AtTheBuzzer (@TheBuzzerOnFOX) December 5, 2016
As they say on the islands, just scrap.
While it would be great to watch, Holloway challenging Pettis to throw down like that isn't a good idea. Pettis can strike with the best of them with his punches or his kicks. And the last thing that Holloway wants is one of those brutal kicks to land flush on his face.
With the exception of the McGregor fight, Holloway does a good job at keeping his distance from his opponent. But if Pettis can find his way past Holloway's outstretched arms, there's a good chance that Pettis could control the fight and the clinch against the cage while loading up on body kicks and knees, using Holloway's aggression against him.
Check out below how effortless Pettis can maneuver his kicks, and watch his footwork as he gets ready to strike. If there is one advantage that Pettis has over Holloway, it's his kicks.
The featherweight division is full of great fighters but is arguably the most chaotic division in the UFC. With McGregor holding the lightweight belt, being stripped of his featherweight title and taking some time off while he becomes a father, Jose Aldo is now the undisputed champion at 145 pounds.Getting the kicks out @Showtimepettis style #ufc206 pic.twitter.com/SYkcIFqPl4
— Jim Edwards (@MMA_Jim) December 7, 2016
VIDEO: Max Holloway, Anthony Pettis square off at #ufc206 media day (@ekc) pic.twitter.com/zOhcOe6c2a
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) December 8, 2016
The winner of Pettis vs. Holloway will, barring some unforeseen disaster, fight Aldo next for the real belt. It's no secret that Pettis, Holloway and Aldo all want a shot at McGregor, but they need to all fight each other first.
If Pettis defeats Holloway and becomes the interim champion, it won't feel right.
A fighter who has lost three out of his last four fights and has only fought one other time at 145 pounds does not deserve to be known as a world champion. Holloway, on the other end of the spectrum, is the most deserving fighter at the moment.
Trying to follow in the footsteps of UFC legend B.J Penn, Holloway has the entire state of Hawaii on his back as he enters the Octagon, and Pettis might not realize how serious Holloway is about this fight and bringing the UFC to his doorstep. No seriously, Holloway wants the UFC to come to Hawaii for an event.
And with a win over Pettis in a tightly-contested five round battle, he'll get his wish.
Prediction: Holloway takes Pettis out of his rhythm four-five rounds en route to a majority decision win. Wirth the interim featherweight belt wrapped around his waist, he'll make another plea to Dana White and the UFC brass to bring the UFC to the Aloha State.
