Contrary to many UFC fans and fighters, Chael Sonnen believes Max Holloway has the upper hand against Justin Gaethje ahead of their much-anticipated fight at UFC 300 on April 13 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the symbolic BMF title.
While addressing Henry Cejudo’s comments on Max Holloway’s chances against Justin Gaethje, Chael Sonnen reminded UFC fans how the former Featherweight Champion has several advantages over Gaethje and actually thinks he can beat the former Interim Lightweight Champion.
Chael Sonnen said, “Do you agree with that? Justin doesn’t have the reach; he doesn’t have the speed. He doesn’t have the combinations, though, very close. Justin does have more lower-body attacks; he does have more significant strikes below the belt. But generally, you need the reach to have those be effective, it’s a talking point. It’s worth considering.”
He continues. “Max is as good of a fighter as I have ever seen. I can’t say that about Justin. Justin is as hard of a fight as I have ever seen, but it’s not the same thing.”
Certainly, those are some big claims from Chael Sonnen, who truly believes Holloway is the superior fighter at UFC 300. However, it’s interesting to note that both Holloway (69 in reach) and Gaethje (70 in reach) stand at 5 ft 11 in with Gaethje having a 1-inch reach advantage over the former Featherweight Champion.
Henry Cejudo says UFC should book Max Holloway against Ilia Topuria, not Justin Gaethje
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Cejudo shared Holloway won’t be the same after fighting Justin Gaethje, and it could end similarly to the Tony Ferguson fight. Gaethje and Ferguson shared the UFC Octagon back in May 2020 at UFC 249. Since losing the fight, Ferguson has yet to get a W on his name and is currently on a 7-fight losing streak. Instead, Triple C showed interest in a potential match-up between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway in Spain.
“I think they should probably get Max Holloway out of the fight with Justin Gaethje and give him that fight in Spain,” Cejudo said. “If you fight a guy like Justin Gaethje, Justin Gaethje’s a guy that will hurt you, and you will not be the same. He’s done it to Tony Ferguson. He’s done it to a lot of people. It’s lights out when you fight a guy like Justin Gaethje, and I think sometimes you got to save these dudes from themselves.” Cejudo said.
Ilia Topuria has become an overnight sensation following his KO win against Alexander Volkanovski last month. UFC is already planning to go to Spain, and fans can’t wait to find out who could be his next opponent. According to Cejudo, Max Holloway is the best choice. However, that’s unlikely, considering the magnitude of the fight he is already in ahead of UFC 300.