Coach Conversation | Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway

Kyte: There is an acceptance there. He’s fully aware, there is no pretence that this is going to be easy. He accepts when he signs that contract that ‘this is gonna be hell, I’m gonna get hurt; this is what it is.’ It’s a car crash.

Nicksick: That’s perfect to me — it’s a car crash.

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His skills, every time out, he’s showing something different, showing something better. He’s not getting into those crazy wars that I think (Trevor) Wittman didn’t want him to be in. He’s willing to fight, he’s willing to go there, but I think he’s a little more efficient now.

Kyte: I talked to him before the fight with Dustin and he said something like, “I have to remember, I have to remind myself that I don’t have to get hit. You can take them, but then go out there and punish.” Which is different from his original mindset which was that he was going to go out there and out-tough you.

You said it at the start — “I don’t know if toughness is a good trait.” I think about that all the time because it’s not really a thing we should be praising because it means you’re able to take a whole lot, and that’s not really what we should be advocating for.

Nicksick: (Chris) Curtis is different because he’s got counters built into the defense; he’s rolling with things and then hitting you off the roll, whereas Gaethje is just taking them.

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Kyte: He just throws back. It’s take-and-respond.

What about Max? What’s the best trait he brings to the table?

Nicksick: The low-hanging fruit is his boxing, but to be honest with you, I think when you watch him, it’s his efficiency. He teeters between a Diaz brother with his volume, but it’s his product placement of where he’s striking you.

He’s not always aiming everything at the head: he’s willing to go to the body, chop at the legs, he’s throwing a lot of volume behind it, but he mixes the variance of it up with hard pressure, sometimes he’s more prodding. It’s always how he’s been, man.

I think that’s what makes him more impressive to me. It’s like a Diaz with more power.

Kyte: That’s a good way to put it.

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For the volume he throws, to have his numbers, it’s ridiculous. We’ll see lots of guys where combined they don’t throw seven significant strikes in a minute, and for Max, that’s the standard.

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Kyte: Everyone would love a 10-second knockout or a quick submission, but that’s not often how these things go, especially not at the championship level. Instead, it’s usually the competitor that has crafted the better game plan and did the better job of executing things inside the Octagon that comes away with their hand raised and the gold around their waist.

So, how does either man get it done on Saturday night?

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Nicksick: I think the path for Gaethje is to keep this fight in a phone booth. I think the dirty boxing, the clinching — the things he does really well — he needs those to navigate through Max’s range.

I know Max is coming up from ’45, but he’s a big ‘55er. He’s 5-foot-11, he’s tall, he’s long, he utilizes his length well, keeps everyone at the end of his range. I think he’s one of the best in the game when it comes to that, and I think Gaethje is gonna have to try to chop him down, kick the legs.

For Justin, he’s gonna have to try to get inside. I wouldn’t say he’s got to take him down, but get inside, clinch up, get some work in, and make this grimy from the inside.

Kyte: Does it surprise you if I tell you Gaethje is the same height as Max and has a one inch reach advantage?

Nicksick: Not really because I’ve stood next to Justin and I know he’s a big dude himself.

Kyte: It’s how they each utilize it. Gaethje fights (closes up body) here, all tucked up, where with Max, it’s all length, it’s all reach. He uses that range and Gaethje would rather get inside and roast you.

Nicksick: I see Gaethje throw more hooks — the step-overs. Very rarely is anything ever set up off an educated jab; that’s not his style, that’s not who he is.

Kyte: He’s slinging hammers.

Nicksick: Absolutely, and so for Justin, getting inside, working the legs, working the body and then climbing up to the head — making this a grimy fight is the style we want to see in this kind of fight.

Kyte: What does Max have to do?

Nicksick: Where Max is most efficient is keeping guys at the end of his range — staying long, utilizing his front kicks. I think switching his stances quite a bit and trying to confuse Gaethje to where he runs into something.

I’ve seen where Gaethje kind of plods forward, and Max does a good job of using shake steps and trying to fight guys off their shoulder blades, rather than right in front of them. Try to fight at 45-degree angles, rather than right in front. Utilize your length, but use it at a 45-degree angle. I think that will help him a lot, especially against a guy that is looking to be in that phone booth.

Man, I’m looking forward to this fight. The more we talk about it, I think it’s the fight of the card, to be honest.

Kyte: This one feels like Max is going up to ’55, rather than fighting Dustin (Poirier) on short notice for an interim title, but always going to go back to ’45. I think he’s here to stay and that part is going to be interesting to me.

In terms of ways for Max to win — Gaethje is a weird puzzle to me because he lives, he trains, he’s grown up in altitude, but he always feels like somebody you might be able to put a pace on; like you could use your conditioning against him.

Not that he doesn’t have it, but he puts so much into everything, every round is empty the tank and refuel in between, so is there any value to Max going out there and trying to make it a sprint and see what happens?

Nicksick: There could be, and you’ll find out right away based on what style of fight Gaethje is looking to have.

If he’s willing to have a knock down, drag out fight, I think that favors Max, because I think Max is smart enough to hit Gaethje more often and get hit less. I don’t think he’s going to be “All right, we’re gonna stay here toe-to-toe.”

Nicksick: Eventually that’s where I want to be; it’s amazing.

Kyte: What benefit comes out of that, both for coach and fighter when it’s only two guys to focus on and they all work so well together?

Nicksick: Familiarity is huge, but when you boil it down to you and one other individual, there is the sweat equity you build throughout camp, throughout that relationship and where you see it most is that minute between rounds.

He might say two or three things that no one understands but those two. It’s almost telepathy. He can say a couple things, they’re gonna understand, and I think that’s really the benefit of having a smaller roster of fighters is the pure connection.

You’re my guy and we’re going to battle together.