Ahead of his co-main duties against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, we take a look at the coaching team of Max Holloway

Max Holloway will fight Alexander Volkanovski for the third time this weekend at UFC 276. Holloway lost the belt to Volkanovski in a razor-thin contest, and has already been beaten by the Aussie twice. He aims to recapture the belt, and solidify his claim as the best featherweight come Saturday night.

Holloway is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the game, and self-acclaimed best boxer in MMA. Holloway fights out of Hawaii, a land known for glow pulses of lava, searing heat clashes with water cold enough to freeze, powerful waves that sculpt the shoreline. It is also known for producing some of the most fearsome warriors in the history of this sport.

Hawaiian fighters are a combination of American swagger and technique, mixed with Mexican fighting spirit and toughness. Popular for the welcoming ‘Aloha’ spirit they can switch up and reach out for their warrior spirit within, and never shy away from a fist-fight.

Holloway embodies the spirit of Hawaii, and comes to fight with everything he has every time he fights. He has an iron chin, and unbreakable will. Holloway has never been knocked inside the UFC or in his MMA career.

Rylan Lizares- Jiu Jitsu Coach

Rylan is a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Professor Pedro Sauer. Rylan has been training in the grappling arts for over fifteen years and holds numerous state and national titles. His accomplishments include-

• 2012 Naga Hawaii Black Belt Gi Division Champion
• 2012 Naga Hawaii Expert No-Gi – Second Place
• 2011 Mundial World Championship Competitor – Black Belt Middleweight Division
• 2010 Naga Hawaii Black Belt Gi Division Champion
• 2010 Naga Hawaii Expert No-Gi – Second Place
• 2010 Pacific Submission Absolute Advanced Champion
• 2009 Medford Oregon Absolute Champion
• 2009 Triple Crown of BJJ – Blackbelt Superfight Winner
• 2009 Kingdom MMA Submission Match Winner
• 2008 Mundial World Championship Competitor – Black Belt Middleweight Division
• 2008 Grapple Fest Hawaii Professional Absolute No-Gi Champion
• 2008 Mundial World Championship Competitor – Brown Belt Middleweight Division
• 2008 Icon Submission Tournament Super Fight Winner
• 2008 USA Wrestling Grappling Ranked #7 at 176lbs.
• 2007 Mundial World Championship – Brown Belt Medio – Third Place
• 2007 Naga Hawaii Advanced No-Gi Champion
• 2007 Naga Hawaii Absolute Gi Division – Second Place

Lizares is the head instructor and owner of Gracie Technics Jiu Jitsu Academy in Honolulu. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under living legend Pedro Sauer, a former NCAA Division I athlete, a former high school wrestling standout, but Lizares is most famous for the homegrown talent his gym has been raising for the Octagon called Hawaii Elite MMA.

Michael Nakagawa – Wrestling coach

Ivan Flores – Striking Coach

Ivan Flores is a Muay Thai Trainer, renowned for training Max Holloway . Flores is particularly renowned for his technical strategy and game planning that brings a new perspective to the world of Muay Thai and MMA.

He began his martial arts training nearly 25 years ago, Flores is one of the most acclaimed and skilled strikers of our time. He’s skilled in Muay Thai, starting his core art training under Gregory Wong in 1994. He also continued his training early in his professional career with AMC Kickboxing and Pankration—home of the legendary Matt “The Wizard” Hume, and other MMA great such as; Wanderlei Silva, Josh Barnett, Akihiro Gono, Rumina Sato, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, and Matt Hughes. He has also trained at Kaewsamrit Gym in Thailand perfecting his Muay Thai alongside Lumpini and Raja Stadium champ Anuwat Kaewsamrit. On the ground he has spent time with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Relson Gracie, Rylan Lizares, submission grappling master Baret Yoshida, and Judo black belt/BJJ purple belt Daniel Shelverton.

With helping to create Hawaii’s finest Muay Thai school M-1 Martial Arts & Fitness (w/Arthur Wong), Flores is eagerly sought out after by professional and amateur fighters for his Muay Thai knowledge, as well as Hawaii’s top athletes for his strength and conditioning training. With leaving M-1 in mid-2013 to expand his martial art teachings, Flores is excited to have found a new home along side one of Hawaii’s finest Professors Rylan Lizares as Technics Academy’s Muay Thai coach.

In August of 2013, Ivan decided with great support to once again open up another Muay Thai school; Legacy Muay Thai. With the future in front of him, and a great partner in Rylan Lizares by his side and the entire Technics school behind him, Ivan aims to bring Hawaii to the next level in Muay Thai. Source [Gracie Technics]

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