UFC 240: Coach on Why Max Holloway is The Toughest Opponent He’s Prepared For

Max Holloway has received plenty of praise in recent years for his abilities and resume, and recently Mark Henry added to that list with some interesting comments.

Due to what Holloway has done, since he lost to Conor McGregor way back in 2013, “Blessed” is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, featherweight of all time. After all, we’re talking about a guy who has won 13 straight fights at 145, and who has defeated top tier opponents like Cub Swanson, Brian Ortega, Charles Oliveira, Anthony Pettis and the legendary Jose Aldo (twice).

Well, tonight at UFC 240, Holloway will take on Frankie Edgar, who is one of the fighters Henry trains. Recently the latter was asked who has been the toughest opponent to game plan for to date, and Henry said this (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“No. 1 – him and Khabib (Nurmagomedov),” Henry said. “Max, I think he just thinks so fast striking-wise, and he can change it up really well. He won’t throw one kick and all of a sudden in the middle of the round throw the same hand, same kick to the head. The way he can just go, go again – he has just a bigger punch count than any pro boxer I’ve seen, you know? His punch count is insane. He does like 20-punch combinations, so he’s probably No. 1 most dangerous guy that I’ve prepared for for a guy.”

“Three times already,” Henry said, while talking about how many times he’s had to study and strategize for “Blessed”.  “It’s the third go, but I have so much respect for him, and he reminds me a lot of Frankie. Just two guys that won’t say no when Dana (White) calls up, and just two guys that want to fight.”

Yup. That’s some lofty and yet, understandable praise. As Henry noted, Holloway is ridiculously fast, he has a very dangerous and comprehensive striking arsenal, as well as cardio for days.

The question is, however, can Edgar counter that with his own footwork, fast hands and some well timed takedown attempts? We shall see soon enough. One could certainly argue Holloway has yet to face someone who has the dynamic, boxing/wrestling pedigree that Frankie has.

UFC 240 will take place in Edmonton, Alberta.