Max Holloway showed a truly superior striking game as he battered Cole Miller from head to toe over three rounds to win his fifth straight fight in the UFC.
The young Hawaiian fighter entered the bout with three straight wins and three straight finishes by knockout or TKO, and there were a few moments in his fight on Saturday night in Broomfield, Colorado, where it looked like he would add another to his resume.
Holloway was a step ahead of Miller in every exchange, landing quick, hard punches and then mixing in a steady diet of kicks, including one to the body in the first round that left a red welt across the American Top Team fighter’s rib cage.
As the fight wore on, Holloway took over more and more, although a pair of accidental headbutts that opened a cut above Miller’s eye did mar the second round.
The final round was all Holloway, as he started to throw spinning back fists and a variety of kicks that started to tag Miller at will. There were moments when Holloway appeared as if he was going to put Miller away, but the veteran featherweight stuck around until the final horn.
The judges returned a unanimous decision for Holloway, and as it turns out, the Hawaiian won’t have to wait long for his next bout.
Following the win, UFC officials confirmed that Holloway will return on April 18 at FOX UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Rockhold, where he takes on top five featherweight Cub Swanson.