Tag: MMA

Ilia Topuria Explains his Unyielding Confidence Ahead of Max Holloway UFC 308 Title Fight “I plan to make this look easy.”

Ilia Topuria vs Max HollowayIlia Topuria vs Max Holloway is set to go down at UFC 308 live from Abu Dhabi. The current…

Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway

Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway is set to go down at UFC 308 live from Abu Dhabi. The current featherweight world champion will look to defend against the former division king. The power puncher will face the volume striker in a highly anticipated matchup. The Georgian-Spanish ‘El Matador’ Topuria is brimming with confidence coming into this bout.

Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway at UFC 308

The undefeated ‘El Matador’ Ilia Topuria is celebrated for his technical proficiency when it comes to boxing. His dangerous hands have spelled the end for many fighters in the octagon. Most recently, The Georgian-Spanish athlete is coming off a knockout win against the top pound-for-pound fighter Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski. On October 26, he faces Max Holloway.

Ilia Topuria

Max ‘Blessed‘ Holloway is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport of MMA. He has impressive victories over dangerous fighters such as Jose Aldo, Justin Gaethje, and many others. He is a high-volume puncher who holds the record for the most significant strikes landed in UFC history.

Max Holloway Knockouts max holloway vs justin gaethje

The reigning division king Ilia Topuria is confident coming into his showdown against Holloway, claiming he will quickly win the fight via knockout. In an interview with Daniel Cormier, he explained:

“I don’t want wars; I want domination. I plan to make this look easy. Max has a great chin, but that just means he gets hit a lot. I’m ready to prove my skills on Saturday night.”

On why he is so confident, ‘El Matador’ said:

“It comes from sacrifice, hard work, and faith. I believe that if you put in the effort, something greater sees it. I’ve always said, both faith and fear ask you to believe in something you haven’t seen. I just choose faith … Once that cage door closes, they’re just another opponent. Respect to Max, but in there, it’s me versus him, no matter what.”

Khamzat Chimaev Compares his Title Journey to Khabib Nurmagomedov: “It took him forever to get a title shot.”

Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib NurmagomedovKhamzat Chimaev compares his journey to UFC gold to that of all-time great Khabib Nurmagomedov. Ahead of UFC 308,…

Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khamzat Chimaev compares his journey to UFC gold to that of all-time great Khabib Nurmagomedov. Ahead of UFC 308, ‘Borz’ shared his insights into his upcoming bout against former champion Robert Whittaker and his world championship plans.

Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov

‘The Eagle’ Khabib Nurmagomedov retired at a perfect 29-0 and was renowned for his dominance in the cage. In the UFC, the lightweight king had notable wins over fighters such as Rafael dos Anjos, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje, among others. Additionally, Nurmagomedov trained multiple titleholders including Islam Makhachev, Belal Muhammad, and Usman Nurmagomedov.

Khabib Nurmagomedov to have Ferrari seized by Russian government

The Dagestani Khabib Nurmagomedov made his UFC debut in 2012 but was unable to earn a title shot until 2018. The undefeated Khamzat Chimaev sees similarities from the Dagestani champion to his road to the title. ‘Borz’ made a huge impact in the UFC when he made his debut, quickly winning matches by KO/TKO. Later on, he struggled with various illnesses and weight issues that kept him inactive. But, with a win at UFC 308 against Robert Whittaker, Chimaev will likely earn a shot at the middleweight throne.

'Most important my family:' Khamzat Chimaev opens up about son’s health issues before UFC 308

In an interview with Daniel Cormier, Khamzat Chimaev explained:

“Yeah, like with Khabib — it took him forever to get a title shot. But I don’t mind; when I get the belt, people will call me the champ.”

The UFC middleweight championship is currently held by South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis. The division also has the former titleholder Sean Strickland hoping for another shot at gold. Khamzat Chimaev will need an impressive performance in Abu Dhabi to jump the line. On earning a title shot in this UFC 308 bout, Chimaev said:

“It should, but we’ll see.”

On his recent training, the middleweight fighter added:

“I go back sometimes to work with the coaches, but mostly I’m training where there are fewer people, so I can focus on my gym, my team, and my training. Yeah, they have good movements. But wrestling against the wall is tough for them. I like challenging myself, though—it makes me a better fighter.”

One-Punch KO? Dustin Poirier Weighs In on Ilia Topuria’s Bold Claim for Max Holloway Fight

Dustin Poirier on Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway UFC 308Ilia Topuria is confident coming into his title defense against Max Holloway headlining UFC 308. But Dustin Poirier explains…

Dustin Poirier on Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway UFC 308

Ilia Topuria is confident coming into his title defense against Max Holloway headlining UFC 308. But Dustin Poirier explains that it might not be as easy as the Georgian-Spanish athlete thinks.

Dustin Poirier on Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway

The reigning UFC featherweight champion ‘El Matador’ Ilia Topuria captured the division crown when he stopped top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski by way of knockout. At UFC 308, Topuria feels that he will do the same to the former champion ‘Blessed’ Max Holloway. But, MMA icon Dustin Poirier says that it will not be that simple.

‘The Diamond’ Poirier has won half his professional MMA bouts via knockout but was unable to put away ‘Blessed‘ when they fought years prior. In fact, Holloway has never lost by knockout in his career despite facing a series of dangerous strikers such as Conor McGregor, Poirier, Jose Aldo, and Justin Gaethje, among others.

Dustin Poirier backed by Dana White to make UFC return: 'You can never count him out'

Speaking to Mike Bohn in an interview, Dustin Poirier commented on Topuria trying to knock out Holloway. He said:

“To go out there and one-punch Max is going to be almost impossible, I think. It can happen, for sure. But I don’t think it will. This is a big test. If [Topuria] goes in there and beats Max, or lasts with Max in the volume game, outpoints him, outfights him technically on the feet—that’s going to say so much about Ilia and where he’s going to go. I can’t pick against Max. I could see Topuria winning, but Max’s experience and the championship fights he’s been in… it’s hard to bet against that.” [Ht MMANews]

‘El Matador’ Ilia Topuria will be aiming to do just that in his main event bout against the highly skilled Max Holloway. ‘Blessed’ is known for his volume-striking while Topuria is a knockout technician.

Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul Mock Dana White Over Flip-Flopping Narrative

Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul Mock Dana White Over Flip-Flopping NarrativeFrancis Ngannou and Jake Paul are not letting UFC president Dana White off the hook for entirely changing his…

Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul Mock Dana White Over Flip-Flopping Narrative

Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul are not letting UFC president Dana White off the hook for entirely changing his narrative and flip-flopping over the years.

Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul Mock Dana White

After his first title defense for greener pastures, the UFC heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou walked away from the organization vacating his crown. The Cameroonian star signed with the PFL and took on two blockbuster boxing bouts against the royalty of the sport as he faced Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. It is estimated that Ngannou made over $30-$40 million for these three bouts.

When Francis Ngannou captured the UFC heavyweight throne, Jon Jones was the long-reigning light heavyweight champion but refused to step up to heavyweight. ‘Bones’ waited until Ngannou left the UFC before trying a heavyweight move. Dana White claimed this was because Jones was scared of Ngannou.

Francis Ngannou PFL
Photo by Tim Wheaton

As Dana White explained in 2021 after Ngannou captured the heavyweight title by way of knockout, suggesting Jones would be better off cutting to middleweight rather than up to heavyweight. White explained:

“If I’m Jon Jones and I’m at home watching this fight I’m moving to ’85 … If Jon Jones really wants the fight Jon Jones knows he can get the fight … If you really want the fight, Francis Ngannou is the heavyweight champion of the world right now, all he’s gotta do is pick up the phone and call Hunter [Campbell] and we can get the deal done.”

Years later, Dana White says that Francis Ngannou is all about the money and that the UFC offered him one of the biggest deals in UFC history, certainly recognizing his value.

Jake Paul did not let White forget, in a recent Tweet, he said:

“3 years ago he was telling Jon Jones to move down to 185 to avoid [Francis Ngannou] and that Jon didn’t really want to fight Francis…but now the narrative doesn’t suit Dana…”

Francis Ngannou PFL
Francis Ngannou

The lineal MMA world champion Francis Ngannou added:

“Divert attention to the real matter by manipulating the narrative. Lol”

UFC 308 Fight Card: PPV Schedule, Odds and Predictions for Max Holloway vs. Topuria

It’s old guard vs. new guard in the featherweight division at UFC 308 with Ilia Topuria attempting his first title defense against Max Holloway in the main…

It’s old guard vs. new guard in the featherweight division at UFC 308 with Ilia Topuria attempting his first title defense against Max Holloway in the main…