UFC 150 – Justin Lawrence vs. Max Holloway preview
We are days away from ‘UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar II’ as the UFC rolls into the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado and MMABay is at hand to break down the five main card fights set for Saturday, August 11th. First, we look at the opening fight on the pay-per-view card as featherweight youngsters, Justin Lawrence and Max Holloway, square off in what should be an all-action affair. Will ‘The American Kid’ remain unbeaten or will the scrappy Hawaiian spoil Lawrence’s coming out party? Find out after the jump…
Justin Lawrence (4-0, 1-0 UFC)
Aptly nicknamed ‘The American Kid’, Missouri’s Justin Lawrence is a lifelong fighter having been training in kickboxing and boxing from the age of six and the talented 22-year old looks to pick up his second UFC victory this weekend after starring on ‘The Ultimate Fighter 15′.
The stand-up artist demolished veteran James Krause to qualify for the show and seemed a hot favourite to take the lot when he knocked out BJJ guru, Cristiano Marcello, in the opening round. However, the rookie proved he had a lot to learn when eventual winner, Michael Chiesa, exposed his lack of ground savvy to finish him by third round TKO in the quarter-finals.
Lawrence was given the token fight at the season finale to try and earn a UFC contract and earn it he did, knocking out wrestler, John Cofer, with a stunning head-kick in the final round.
Max Holloway (5-1, 1-1 UFC)
‘The American Kid’ takes on the youngest fighter under UFC contract, Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway, in Denver in what should be a high-octane battle of hungry young prospects. Holloway, just 20-years old, had impressed on the local circuit as he defeated the far more experienced Harris Sarmiento in his home of Hawaii, to win the X-1 lightweight title.
The highly-touted youngster was called up at short notice to replace an injured Ricardo Lamas at UFC 143 but despite giving top contender, Dustin Poirier, fits in the striking department he was quickly taken down and submitted with a mounted triangle-armbar.
Not to be deterred, Holloway returned to face fellow rookie, Pat Schilling, at the TUF 15 finale in June and embarassed the wrestler by defending every takedown attempt while bruising up his opponent with vicious kicks. ‘Blessed’ took a lopsided unanimous decision but he couldn’t have imagined that would lead, in a roundabout way, to a slot on the UFC 150 pay-per-view card.
The Verdict: There’s little chance of much ground work to kick off the main card so kick back and settle into a kickboxing battle as this pair of unpredictable strikers throw down. Lawrence will be giving up a little reach to the lankier Holloway but the Hawaiian doesn’t seem to have the same power as ‘The American Kid’ who will look to get inside and work combos but both will toss out the acrobatic kicks for fun. While both are rough around the edges, Lawrence seems the better equipped of the two right now and the young Black House fighter should edge it. Lawrence, decision.
By Steve Davies.
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