Ilia Topuria has been fervently indulging in trash talk with Max Holloway ahead of their bout, and a UFC Hall of Famer suggests that it might all be part of a clever strategy. Topuria is set to make the first defense of his featherweight title against Holloway in the main event of UFC 308, scheduled […]
Ilia Topuria has been fervently indulging in trash talk with Max Holloway ahead of their bout, and a UFC Hall of Famer suggests that it might all be part of a clever strategy.
However, Michael Bisping contends that Topuria’s words go beyond mere banter; they constitute a psychological strategy to coax Holloway into a style of fighting that could heavily favor the undefeated Spaniard.
“The Count” went on to acknowledge that while both fighters are highly skilled, he believes Topuria holds the upper hand with his explosive striking. He added that “El Matador” is cleverly toying with the Hawaiian’s pride by persistently downplaying his abilities.
Topuria secured a knockout victory over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 in February, capturing the featherweight belt. He has delivered four knockouts in his seven UFC appearances to date.
Meanwhile, “Blessed” is riding high off a last-second knockout win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April, securing the BMF title. Saturday night will mark Holloway’s third shot at reclaiming the 145-pound crown.
UFC fans have watched Max Holloway grow up in the promotion and evolve into the elite level competitor that we now see today. The incredible success that he has achieved hasn’t been without some adjustments along the way and a former opponent of his found that out first hand. At UFC 308 this Saturday, Holloway […]
UFC fans have watched Max Holloway grow up in the promotion and evolve into the elite level competitor that we now see today. The incredible success that he has achieved hasn’t been without some adjustments along the way and a former opponent of his found that out first hand.
At UFC 308 this Saturday, Holloway will challenge Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title in his return to 145-pounds. “Blessed” has faced his fair share of heavy hitters in the past but seeing how he deals with the boxing and power of the champion is a massive factor in this fight.
When top-10 ranked featherweight Arnold Allen faced Holloway over five rounds in April last year, the Brit was surprised by the way that the former champion fought him.
Rather than bringing his usual brand of forward pressure and high output, the BMF titleholder was happy to counter strike and showed a different side to his game. We saw the same thing in his last fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 where aside from the final few seconds, Holloway didn’t need to put himself in harm’s way to be effective.
Allen highlighted this during his breakdown video for the main event on October 26. “Almighty” spoke about some of the changes that he has noticed from “Blessed” in recent times.
“Max Holloway kind of reinvigorated his style since fighting me. He made some adjustments. He started breaking distance, coming in and out, kicking more, being a little bit smarter like not taking so many shots. Not being in the pocket and just trying to out-will you. I do think one of things when I fought him that we or I didn’t respect enough is his fight IQ.”
Allen also spoke about how Holloway is still able to pressure his opponents without constantly being in their faces. This ability to control the distance without trading with “El Matador” could be a massive factor in his attempt to reclaim the featherweight gold.
“One of the things I really like that he’s done since making some adjustments is he disengages but he keeps the pressure on and there’s definitely an art to it. He’ll leave the danger but he’s still in the range for pressure, it’s hard to explain.”
The build-up to the UFC’s annual October pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi has picked up with a face-to-face interview between its two headliners. The promotion will be back in the Middle East for the third time this year, and back inside the Etihad Arena just over two months on from UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. […]
The build-up to the UFC’s annual October pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi has picked up with a face-to-face interview between its two headliners.
The promotion will be back in the Middle East for the third time this year, and back inside the Etihad Arena just over two months on from UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov being staged at the venue.
This time, the Abu Dhabi crowd will be treated to championship stakes and one of the most highly anticipated fights of 2024 thus far, as featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria puts his gold on the line opposite legend Max Holloway.
Topuria, Holloway Verbally Spar Pre-UFC 308
In the months leading up to UFC 308, the pair set to collide in the main event have gone back and forth on social media and during their respective interviews.
And that trend continued weeks out from the Oct. 26 event, as “El Matador” and “Blessed” joined UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald for a virtual face-to-face interaction.
Fitzgerald wasn’t required too often, with Topuria and Holloway frequently abandoning questions to trade barbs at one another.
On the champ’s side, the Georgian-Spaniard dismissed Holloway’s boxing credentials and gave a critical review of his UFC 300 win over Justin Gaethje, branding the fight “boring” and the last-second knockout absent of technique.
Holloway’s rebuttals remained consistent throughout: we’ll see what happens on Oct. 26.
Ilia Topuria’s ambitions to compete in a potential ‘champ vs. champ’ showdown have intensified in recent weeks, but a popular MMA analyst doesn’t think now is the time for such a matchup. “El Matador” has continually expressed his eagerness to ascend a division and challenge the reigning UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, in an exciting […]
Ilia Topuria’s ambitions to compete in a potential ‘champ vs. champ’ showdown have intensified in recent weeks, but a popular MMA analyst doesn’t think now is the time for such a matchup.
Topuria’s excitement was palpable during a recent live stream on Instagram, where he enthusiastically answered a fan’s question about his ability to defeat Makhachev. The 27-year-old Spaniard confidently asserted that he could easily overcome Makhachev, stating that it would be the fight he would pursue after handling Holloway.
Ilia Topuria says he hopes to fight Islam Makhachev after Max Holloway
“Of course [I think I can beat Islam]… Makhachev real soon. Hope Makhachev will be next after this fight.”
“Younger guys like Ilia Topuria going, ‘Oh yeah, I’m going to fight so and so up here,’” Thomson said. “I’m like, dude, you haven’t defended your title one time. You beat the guy coming off of a head-kick knockout. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. How about you defend it against Max, the fight I’m really excited for?”
Thompson further emphasized that Topuria should concentrate on solidifying his standing in the featherweight division before calling out others. He also mentioned that “El Matador” might be seeking these high-profile matchups primarily for social media popularity.
“Ilia Topuria needs to clear out the division. He’s fought a lot of guys in there, but there are still many opponents for him to face. He shouldn’t even be mentioning that; the UFC shouldn’t be entertaining that. This whole thing, I think, is about social media—swipe right, swipe left, up, down, real fast. I need self-gratification right now; that’s what they’re looking for: ‘what can I do to make the most money?’”
Topuria captured the 145-pound title with a stunning second-round knockout of former champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February. He remains undefeated in his seven Octagon appearances, with five of those victories coming by way of stoppage.
UFC 307 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering. The promotion was in Salt Lake City last week, where the Delta Center played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest major card in the “Beehive State.” Of note were title fight wins for […]
While the aftermath of the October 5 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the light heavyweight title picture to the 145-pound championship conversation.
At UFC 308, set for the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on October 26, reigning featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria will compete for the second time this year, this time in defense of gold. Following a knockout of Alexander Volkanovski to capture the crown, “El Matador” will next face the challenge of BMF titleholder Max Holloway.
Stakes will also be high in the co-headliner, as former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker looks to continue his fine winning form in 2024. “The Reaper” is set for a second attempt at sharing the cage with Khamzat Chimaev following their canceled headliner in Saudi Arabia this past June.
Ankalaev, Murphy, Magomedov Set The Stage For Title Headliners At UFC 308
Before Topuria defends his belt and Whittaker looks to secure a shot at regaining champ status in the Middle East, a number of other high-profile names will take to the Octagon looking to make the most of their position on the major card.
That includes surging featherweight Lerone Murphy. Despite an impressive main event win over Edson Barboza earlier this year, “The Miracle” will be defending his #12 spot in the rankings against Dan Ige, who is returning for the first time since his same-day assignment opposite Diego Lopes this past June.
Prior to that, Pereira’s next challenger at light heavyweight could be decided as #2-ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev shares the cage with the highly regarded Aleksandar Raki?
Those pairings have gotten the nod to feature on the main card over the welterweight clash between ex-lightweight titleholder Rafael dos Anjos and Geoff Neal, which is currently slated to top the preliminary portion of the event.
See below for the full UFC 308 card, as it stands.
Main Card:
Featherweight Championship Main Event: Ilia Topuria (C) vs. Max Holloway
Middleweight Co-Main Event: Robert Whittaker vs. Max Holloway
Featherweight: Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige
Light Heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Raki?
Middleweight: Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan
Preliminary Card:
Welterweight: Geoff Neal vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Lightweight: Mateusz R?becki vs. Myktybek Orolbai
Bantamweight: Said Nurmagomedov vs. Daniel Santos
Middleweight: Abus Magomedov vs. Brunno Ferreira
Heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Justin Tafa
Bantamweight: Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo
Welterweight: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
Middleweight: Bruno Silva vs. Ismail Naurdiev
Light Heavyweight: Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira
Ilia Topuria recently said that the prospect of a fight with Conor McGregor no longer appeals to him. “El Matador” had consistently expressed his enthusiasm for stepping into the Octagon with the former two-division UFC champion, even suggesting he would move up to lightweight, if necessary, to make the dream fight a reality. With no […]
“The Notorious” has been absent from active competition since suffering a leg break in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. Despite sporadically teasing a return, McGregor had even lined up a fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June. However, the bout was scrapped at the last minute, with the Irishman withdrawing due to injury.
In numerous interviews and social media posts, McGregor has repeatedly claimed he’s determined to make his UFC comeback. However, his words often don’t align with his actions, as he’s frequently seen engaging in activities outside of MMA or promoting his liquor brand.
This inconsistency is exactly why Topuria believes that “The Notorious” has lost his fire for the sport.
Topuria On Dropping Super Fight Ambitions: ‘He’s Not The McGregor That Moved Masses’
During a recent appearance on Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos’ YouTube channel, “El Matador” revealed that his eagerness to face McGregor has faded. The 27-year-old Spaniard remarked that the UFC icon’s career is on a downward trajectory, emphasizing that McGregor’s absence from the Octagon has diminished the allure that once enthralled the masses.
“I wouldn’t like to fight McGregor,” Topuria said. “I mean, McGregor would be an option if I could fight him, but right now, even if they [the UFC] offered me a fight with him, I would say no because there are bigger fights than him. He is not the same; he’s not the McGregor that once moved the masses.”
“He’s now a McGregor who represents alcohol and drugs more than the sport. I was inspired by Conor. I admired him when I was younger. He lost it because he betrayed the values that had brought him to the top. We have lost an idol.”
“El Matador” is gearing up to put his featherweight title on the line against Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 308, scheduled for October 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Topuria captured the 145-pound championship with a spectacular knockout of former titleholder Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 this past February.
