UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega staff picks and predictions

The Bloody Elbow team has submitted its predictions for UFC 231, and while everyone who wrote something up chosen Max Holloway over Brian Ortega, entire opinion is fairly divided. In terms of the co-main occasion, again things are divided as to who will prevail between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Valentina Shevchenko. It is good to have toss-up title conflicts like these two, isn’t it?
Note: Predictions are entered throughout the week and gathered the day prior to the event. Explanations behind every choice are not required and a few writers opt not to do so for their own motives. By way of instance, if Phil Mackenzie entered all his predictions on Wednesday without adding in any excuses he has no idea if he’s likely to be the only one siding with one fighter for any specific fight.
Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega
Anton Tabuena: This really is pretty simple to me. With any bizarre health issues, Max Holloway should fully run through Ortega here. Holloway is just much better and far more dangerous than all the other people Ortega has defeated. This is clearly still MMA and Ortega has proven that he has decent power, but he definitely won’t pick apart someone as technically proficient as Holloway. I think this will look a good deal like Ortega’s past spells, but he will take a much worse beating and won’t have the ability to secure that magic comeback. Max Holloway by TKO.
Mookie Alexander: There is a degree of unsustainability into Ortega’s love of completing fights over winning rounds, and Holloway is a masterful round winner. I’m obviously assuming we are receiving the best version of Max Holloway, so that is the secret here. Ortega has increased tremendously as a striker, but until this point, Holloway has proven a ridiculous chin and he’s probably not the person who you need to engage in a high-paced brawl with. Ortega loves the jumping guillotine, I suspect Holloway is going to be ready for this, and he is a damn good grappler in his very own right. Takedowns are improbable on both sides, and Ortega specifically has shown himself to be not especially great at shooting down his opponents in the first location. While Ortega is extremely dangerous based on what we’ve seen out of him in recent conflicts, I trust Holloway to do more damage and avoid the classic Ortega comeback. Max Holloway by conclusion.
Zane Simon: Ortega’s struggle against Frankie Edgar was something of a revelation. He’s always been always been dangerous, but that has been the first time his striking fashion – assembled around a lot slicker moves and often a lack of fundamental ones – has appeared like a whole game. He worked behind the jab, feinted, pulled out predictable answers and changed up his entries to club Frankie to unconsciousness. It was damn pretty. It also means that it’s difficult to say how much more advanced Ortega could be now. Without seeing more consistency and variety to his game, and without seeing an ability to maintain output multiple hard striking rounds, I have to select Holloway. His ability to push a pace and then to up that pace because his opponents tire, his capacity to change aims in combination and start up new combinations off earlier, simpler ones, just are not skills that Ortega has shown yet. And Ortega still has a history of losing rounds he hasn’t finished the fight in. Even with Max’s health scare, the majority of the questions are around Ortega’s side and most of the replies are around Holloway’s. Max Holloway by decision.
Victor Rodriguez: Neither man will be seeking to take down the other, and Holloway’s clinch match is lethal. Having said this, Ortega’s been a guy I’ve counted out in so many fights, I feel dumb picking him against him. He should have a range disadvantage and Max’s frenetic pace should make this difficult for him due to quantity, but Ortega doesn’t get hit that far and appears to keep finding ways to pull a rabbit out of his hat. I want to pick Ortega by diving to get a flying armbar from a clinch situation, but that is a little reckless even for me. And while I’m still worried about the fact that we still don’t understand what health concerns Holloway had last time, it would appear that the man that wears harm well and contains a more complete and composed approach to his attacks should have the ability to take over as the fight goes on and apply pressure so. Max Holloway by choice.

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