Main event is the only fight i properly researched, and I went all in.
Thought i would be balls deep on Kattar as it would be a standup fight, but like some of you said there something underwhelming about him. He is very composed under pressure and has a great chin, but when he is shelling up against the cage he is losing. He usually turns it around by having a power advantage, but it didn't work against someone like Zabit who banked 2 rounds easy. I think it will be a low output affair, with Kattar having the power advantage, Max the volume.
What is making me hesitant is Max hasent been the same since his Proier fight. Before that fight he had awseome distance management, constant output and he would have spurts of aggressiveness that would drown opponents. Even against Proier, he had him in trouble when he went on a burst rounds 2, 3 and 4. He would then get hurt and lose them on judges cards. Kattar dosent hit as hard as Proier. In his return against Edgar, he should of Koed him. It was a very underwhelming performance. He then carried that into his Volk loss where he legit did nothing? Fair enough Volk did shut him down, but when has Max ever been hesitant before while eating strikes? He goes through them. In the rematch he said he did no sparing, and he was much better. He isn't sparing for this camp either. Maybe the damage he took against Dustin was really affecting him.
I am finding there is lots of questions in this fight that is putting me off having a hard lean. Max is fighting someone his height and with a bigger reach, he has always been hittable and I am noticing now it affects him much more now. Even Edgars punches were obvious. If its low output, and he eats a couple of brutal 1-2's that steal rounds ( Kattars best weapon ), it gets sweaty. If he is even better than the last fight after one more camp of no sparing then ye he should roll here. Kattar is also improving. It could also be that Volkov is an animal that has completely figured Max out, and Max has to fight in a different style against him. Max always gets countered over the top coming in against shorter guys, maybe someone his height will be more suitable for him. But ye, not left with a strong lean here, maybe a live bet after first couple of rounds.
