The UFC 308 main event will determine the legacy of the two men in it. After all, featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will take on the legendary Max Holloway atop UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on October 26. While Topuria will have the chance to get another all-timer on his resume, ‘Blessed’ is fighting to regain his old title and cement his place as the greatest featherweight in UFC history.

And their matchup is a very intriguing one. While Holloway is a pure striker and a damn good one but Topuria, too has excellent boxing prowess with barbaric knockout power in his fists. Not to mention the reigning champion has an excellent ground game, which he hasn’t employed in the UFC yet. This uncertainty about how their fight will play out is one of the reasons why the fans are so excited about their bout. But UFC featherweight Jack Shore thinks two main things stand between Max Holloway and victory at UFC 308.

“I think Max is going to stay off the cage. I think every time you see Ilia knocks someone out, he gets them backed up and he gets them moving towards his right hand, whether he does it with his cutting off or with his body shot. He always lands that big right hand. So for Max, I think it’s kind of, he’s the taller guy and he’s the rangier guy. And Ilia’s at his best on the inside Max is at his best on the outside. So I think Max is, number one, going to stay off the cage and number two, [going to] establish the center and use their long arms and their long legs and get his kicking game going, you know, don’t make it a straight boxing match,” Shore said in a recent interview with ‘Inside Fighting’ on YouTube.

Of course, Holloway has one of the most durable chins in the entire sport, having never been knocked out in his pro-fighting career so far. Not to mention his boxing, which is the best in the division. That is why the Hawaaian ace will try to keep the fight standing up especially since he has a size advantage over ‘El Matador’. And Shore feels that if ‘Blessed’ can use his advantages and make Topuria fight his fight, he will emerge victorious. But what about Ilia Topuria?

Jack Shore feels Topuria’s ground game is a big advantage over Max Holloway

Predictably, Shore felt that Ilia Topuria should try to corner Holloway against the cage and make it a firefight, which would put him in a position to catch ‘Blessed’ with a powerful shot. In addition, Shore pointed out that ‘El Matador’ is an excellent grappler which is a clear advantage he has over the Hawaii native.

“And I think the key for Ilia really is the opposite, you know. Try and force Max backward, get him to the cage, and try and land those big shots and maybe mix in some wrestling as well,” Shore added.

Topuria of course, comes from a Greco-Roman wrestling background and also holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to his name. Indeed, the Spanish-Georgian national has said he plans on taking Holloway to the ground if he cannot knock out Holloway early on, just as Shore suggested. What are your predictions for Topuria-Holloway? Let us know in the comments section below!