Just weeks out from their heated title fight at UFC 308 in the Middle East, both featherweight stars, Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway have given fans a sneak peek into their championship camps as the two vie for the divisional crown in Abu Dhabi.
Topuria, the current undisputed featherweight champion, improved to 15-0 with a stunning second round knockout win over common-opponent, Alexander Volkanovski at the beginning of this year in February in their UFC 298 title fight in Anaheim,
Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway show off striking ahead of UFC 308
And himself looking to regain the undisputed featherweight crown, Hawaiian star, Holloway most recently scored the symbolic BMF title with a highlight-reel buzzer-beating knockout stoppage of former interim lightweight gold holder, Justin Gaethje on the main card of UFC 300.
Sharing an insight into his camp ahead of UFC 307 in the United Arab Emirates, undefeated Georgian-Spaniard showed off his impressive striking skills on a bag, while ex-champion, Holloway also demonstrated his own rapid hands during a pad hitting drill.
Predicting a dominant win over Holloway ahead of their title grudge match next month, the outspoken, Topuria boldly claimed that his striking prowess would prove too much for his foe — as it had with all 15 of his prior opponents in mixed martial arts.
“It’s going to be like everyone else,” Ilia Topuria said. “As soon as he (Max Holloway) starts to really fight me and starts exchanging blows, that’s the end of the fight. Nobody can exchange blows with me, not only because of my power, but because of the technique I apply to each movement. They don’t see me coming.”
“The changes of pace that I introduce are something that they are not used to, you know?” Ilia Topuria explained. “They are not used to the game I propose. So as soon as he starts to fight — as soon as he points his finger down [to the canvas], if he does it from the beginning — that’s it.”