If it’s not for the BMF title, Ilia Topuria has no real interest in preventing Max Holloway.
‘Blessed’ delivered one of many biggest knockouts in UFC historical past on the promotion’s landmark occasion in Las Vegas over the weekend, dispatching light-weight fan favourite Justin Gaethje with a booming overhand proper to assert the bragging rights belt.
For sure, Holloway’s insane buzzer-beater despatched the 20,000 followers inside T-Cell Enviornment into an absolute frenzy. Effectively, everybody besides Topuria who regarded like he’d simply seen a ghost who launched him to his future.
Instantly following the victory, followers flocked to social media demanding that Max Holloway be the primary man to problem Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title.
Throughout an look on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Topuria was open to the thought of preventing Holloway — an entire 180 from the place he stood two months in the past — however solely on the situation that ‘Blessed’ places his new belt up for grabs.
“With out the BMF belt [on the line], I don’t need him in any respect,” Topuria mentioned. “If not, I’m gonna battle with Volk who deserves greater than him, the rematch. As a result of he has that belt, I’m enthusiastic about that. That’s why I would like him.
“He’s been saying, ‘Proper now I’ve numerous choices.’ He doesn’t have any choices. I’m the champion proper now, I select the date, I select the place. He simply must be prepared and await the decision. Each time I would like him, he must be prepared.”
An opportunity to win the BMF title has Ilia Topuria Altering his tune
Sitting on an ideal 15-0 file in MMA, ‘El Matador’ is just eight weeks faraway from his beautiful second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanvoski to assert the 145-pound crown at UFC 298. Even earlier than profitable the title, Topuria made it clear that he would “by no means” defend the belt towards among the division’s largest names.
“Max, Yair (Rodriguez), Brian Ortega, all of them, they’ll go and retire. I’m by no means going to offer them the prospect to battle for the title – by no means,” he mentioned in a previous interview with Helwani.
With one thing extra to achieve, it seems that Ilia Topuria has reversed his assertion — at the least in terms of Holloway.
