Max Holloway believes this weekend\u2019s main event is closer than the odds suggest.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Dricus du Plessis defends his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 319. It\u2019s one of the most anticipated fights of the year, and the rare title fight where the challenger is a sizable betting favorite over the champion, coming in as high as -260 in some places (suggesting a 72% win probability). And Holloway thinks those odds are a little too long for the reigning champ.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like both guys,\u201d Holloway said on his YouTube channel<\/a>. \u201cBoth guys are awesome. This is crazy. I understand why, but this is crazy. The champion \u2014 especially with who the champion beat \u2014 is an underdog. It\u2019s kinda crazy. The reason why he is, I understand who Chimaev is.<\/p>\n \u201cThe one biggest thing that I can point out that I hope this fight du Plessis watched was the fight that Chimaev fought Kamaru Usman. If you watch that fight \u2014 not many people are going to pick up on this, but here\u2019s a little spoiler for you guys \u2014 every time Kamaru Usman decided to anti-wrestle and not wrestle back with Chimaev, he actually defended a takedown. Go watch. Go watch all the takedowns that Kamaru Usman defended. It was takedowns that he didn\u2019t try to counter-wrestle with him, he just anti-wrestled, meaning he was just trying to go for full breaks and that\u2019s it. He had great success when he wasn\u2019t trying to counter back. \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cAny time Usman did try to wrestle back with him, guess who won the exchange? You guessed it right, Chimaev. if du Plessis took anything \u2014 I saw his coach saying they want to take the wrestling to him, that\u2019s not the way you\u2019re going to beat him. This guy is just going to wrestle back with you. You need to anti-wrestle. Then, maybe later on, you wrestle back.\u201d<\/p>\n Chimaev burst onto the UFC in 2020, winning three fights in a matter of weeks and looking for all the world like a future champion. However, injuries and other issues interfered and while he never lost in the cage, it took \u201cBorz\u201d several years to finally get his first title shot.<\/p>\n In contrast, du Plessis made his UFC debut just three months after Chimaev and steadily worked his way up the rankings, winning the title last year. He\u2019s since defended it twice and is quickly building a legacy as one of the greatest middleweights of all-time, with wins over Sean Strickland, Robert Whittaker, and Israel Adesanya, which is why Holloway thinks he\u2019s getting a bit overlooked here.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is so hard to pick,\u201d Holloway said. \u201cYou can\u2019t disrespect the champion, that\u2019s why. Look at who he beat. He beat a who\u2019s who. Then you look on the opposite side with Chimaev, look what he did. He\u2019s convincing the shit out of everybody when he wins his fights. It\u2019s so hard. \u2026 I understand why you\u2019re disrespecting the champ, but I feel like you shouldn\u2019t. I feel like it should be [even odds] both ways.\u201d<\/p>\n But even though he believes du Plessis is getting short shrift here, when push comes to shove, Holloway does believe we are going to hear \u201cAnd new\u201d come Saturday night.<\/p>\n \u201cThe degen gambler in me would go du Plessis, but my mind is going Chimaev,\u201d Holloway said. \u201cAnd the whole thing with Chimaev that I\u2019m really trying to know in this one is if his cardio is there. \u2026 So at the end of the day, I\u2019m not going to pick anybody in the main event. But if it\u2019s a finish, I think it\u2019s Khamzat, and if it goes four rounds or more, I think du Plessis wins a decision or late finish. But three rounds and under, I think it\u2019s a Khamzat fight.\u201d<\/p>\n Trust. Dana White has more faith in Conor McGregor than Jon Jones for potential slot on UFC White House card<\/a>.<\/p>\n Losing. Dricus du Plessis questions how Khamzat Chimaev will handle first loss<\/a> after UFC 319 is over.<\/p>\n Trial. Jon Jones bench trial set for September<\/a> on 2 misdemeanor charges, judge dismisses original case.<\/p>\n Life. Liz Carmouche isn\u2019t setting timeline to retire<\/a> but she admits time away from wife and son driving her to make changes.<\/p>\n Off. TUF 33 finale fight scrapped from UFC 319, bout expected to be rescheduled<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hopes. Reinier de Ridder wants Dricus du Plessis to beat Khamzat Chimaev<\/a> at UFC 319.<\/p>\n MVP on Anything but Fighting.<\/p>\n SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE<\/p>\n Dana reacting to the Conor rumors.<\/p>\n Can you imagine how Michael Chandler would take this?<\/p>\n Patchy Mix (20-2) vs. Jakub Wiklacz (16-3-2); UFC 320, Oct. 4.<\/p>\n One more sleep. Best fight of the year tomorrow. Can\u2019t wait.<\/p>\n If you find something you\u2019d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee<\/a> or @JedKMeshew<\/a> on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, and like us on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n