Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria defended his title for the primary time within the UFC 308 foremost occasion on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. “El Matador” knocked out former champion Max Holloway within the third spherical.
Topuria did what no different opponent Holloway had confronted in his 14-year blended martial arts profession had been capable of do; win by knockout. Holloway had arguably by no means been knocked down earlier than in a combat. The Hawaiian has confirmed to be one of the vital sturdy fighters within the promotion’s historical past.
Watching Topuria and Holloway battle it out was former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley. Topuria left “Suga” surprised. In back-to-back fights, Topuria knocked out two of the best 145-pound fighters ever to step contained in the octagon: Alexander Volkanovski and Holloway.
“Ilia is that man,” O’Malley mentioned on his YouTube channel in response to the knockout win. “Who’re 145 desires to combat Ilia proper now? Ilia is simply so harmful the entire combat. He is like a little bit f*cking Alex Pereira.
Pereira holds the UFC mild heavyweight title and beforehand held the middleweight championship. He is knocked out 4 of his final 5 opponents since shifting as much as the 205-pound weight class in July 2023. Two of them have been former champions. Ten of his twelve profession wins have been by knockout.
“You possibly can’t inform me Ilia versus Islam [Makhachev] is not a combat you would not need to see,” O’Malley mentioned. “You hate seeing Max – That is the combat recreation. Ilia’s the person proper now.”
“Ilia has a sick fashion. As a lot as I’ve talked sh*t about him, he is harmful in all places,” O’Malley continued.
