Max Holloway successfully defended his featherweight title tonight at UFC 240, managing to outstrike Frankie Edgar and stuff his many takedown attempts to secure a win on the scorecards.
Round One:
The featherweight main event of the evening is underway in Canada.
Leg kick for Edgar. Front kick to the body for Edgar. left hand for him. Now working kicks as he stays busy early.
Uppercut for Holloway but misses with the follow-up punch. Leg kick for Edgar. Jab for Holloway. Hard uppercut for Holloway timed well as Edgar tries to come in for a potential takedown.
leg kick for Edgar. Jab from Holloway. Body punch from the champ. Glancing right hands over the top from Edgar. Edgar comes over the top and lands.
Solid right hand for Holloway. Precision punch to the body from Holloway. Now a left hand. They exchange in close and Holloway lands an uppercut.
leg kick for Edgar. right hand for Edgar. Solid uppercut for Holloway snaps Edgar’s head back. Punch for Edgar. jab for Edgar and then a leg kick.
Body punch for Holloway. One-two for Edgar and then a punch in return from Holloway. Holloway tries for the head kick and Edgar gives him one in exchange, but it’s blocked.
Round Two:
Double jab for Holloway to start the second. Two punches and a leg kick for Edgar. Overhand right for Holloway. Hard body punch from Holloway. Solid right for Edgar.
Edgar with a left hand now. He gets a leg kick, but Holloway with the double jab. Holloway threatens with the uppercut. In close Holloway lands a short right hook.
Edgar feeling out with the jab and then tries for takedown, but Holloway stuffs it and moves away. Body punch from Holloway as Edgar fires off too.
left-right for Holloway. Body punch for HOlloway. Right hand for Edgar. Now a right hook from Edgar after a punch from Holloway.
Jab from Holloway. Now an uppercut to the body. Right hand from Holloway. Now a right hook as Edgar closed the distance.
Edgar tries to reach in for a takedown, but he gets caught with a solid right hand instead. Right hand for Edgar now.
Double jab for Holloway. Missed head kick attempt from Edgar. Body punch for Holloway. Low leg kick for Edgar. He tries for thhe head kick and just comes up short.
Edgar thinks aout the takedown but nothing doing. Exchange in close and it’s Holloway who lands the clean shots.
Big spinning back kick to the body from Holloway sends Edgar reeling backwards just as the round is coming to a close.
Round Three:
Edgar in on single leg early in the third here, but Holloway does well to fight that off. Low kick for Edgar. Now a right hand, but a spinning backfist misses. He goes back to the leg kick.
Body kick for Edgar. Now a superman punch. double jab for Holloway. One-two for Edgar. Body punch from Holloway. Leg kick from Edgar. Right hand for Edgar.
Holloway fakes a takedown attempt and comes up with punches. Short flurry from Edgar. Edgar clinches up and Holloway lands a knee to the body then separates.
Body punches from Edgar. Spinning back kick to the body from Edgar. Short flurry from Edgar again. jab for Holloway. spinning backfist from Edgar bounces off his opponent’s gloves.
Body punch and a jab from Holloway. Overhand right from Edgar. He tries for a single leg, but Holloway’s takedown defense is excellent. Hard punch from Holloway.
Good body kick from Holloway. Now an uppercut. he lands it again. Now a knee and Edgar is backing up hurt. However Edgar then ducks down and works for a takedown. Good move from Edgar to buy some time and even better he lands it against the cage.
Edgar not able to get too much going from that thhough and Holloway is able to stand and land a knee before the horn signals the end of the round.
Round Four:
right hand gets through for Holloway. Another lands. Edgar goes in on the single leg, but Holloway shrugs it off. Body punch for Holloway.
right hand sneaks through for Edgar. Body kick for Edgar. Right hand lands. Edgar steps into another solid right hand. Jab for Holloway.
More jabs for Holloway. Single leg attempt from Edgar, but holloway stays upright. Again Edgar goes for it and this time gets Holloway into the clinch against the cage, but he’s quickly away.
Punches for Holloway. He lands the jab. Edgar’s nose smeared with blood. left hook for Edgar. Body punch and on upstairs from Holloway.
Body kick for Edgar. Holloway just misses a head kick. Body head combo for Edgar. Right hand for Holloway. Another punch lands for Edgar.
Jab for Holloway. Flurry of punches and a leg kick from Edgar. Holloway connects clean. A few more punchhes land well for him, but Edgar just works for another takedown attempt. He presses Holloway up against the cage. Holloway moves out and then lands a spinning back kick to the body to end the round.
Round Five
Body kick for Edgar. Jab for Holloway. Body punch from Edgar and then a leg kick. Hard jab for Holloway and a leg kick in response from Edgar.
Another crisp jab from Holloway. Single leg attempt from Edgar, but Holloway stays upright against the cage and circles out to the center of the Octagon.
Jab from Holloway and Edgar flurries. Overhand right for Holloway. Again the jab from the champ. Right hand for Edgar.
Body punch for HOlloway. Now a jab. Overhand right from Edgar. Jab again for Holloway. Now a quick let hand. Uppercut for Holloway.
Edgar trying for the single leg, but Holloway sprawls on that one. Right hand gets through for Edgar. Right for Holloway now.
Straight right for Holloway. left hand sneaks past Holloway’s guard. well-timed right hand from Holloway stops Edgar’s forward push.
Jab connects again for Holloway. Right hand from the champ. Spinning backfist from Edgar hits thhe gloves. Left hook for Edgar.
Overhand right for Edgar. Body kick now. Spinning back kick from Holloway as Edgar tries for a last takedown that doesn’t pay off. Both men still trying to strike as the round and fight comes to a close.
Decision:
Edgar made this one competitive, but Holloway was outstriking him and earns himself a unanimous decision victory (50-45 x2, 48-47).
