Ilia Topuria is a superstar in the making, and his UFC title reign is just getting started.
Topuria knocked out Max Holloway at the 1:34 mark of the third round to retain his featherweight belt for the first time in the UFC 308 main event Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Holloway, a former 145-pound champion, suffered the first knockout loss of his 34-fight professional career. Topuria, meanwhile, remained undefeated as a pro.
“To beat a legend like Max Holloway, it’s something that I can’t even believe,” Topuria said in his postfight interview. “I just followed his entire career. He inspired me so much in my career. He’s been a great example for the generation, and I always have said that I represent the new generation. I hope that I’m gonna be a small portion of the example he has been for me for the new generation.”
A little over a minute into the third round, Topuria knocked Holloway’s head back with a massive right hand, marking the beginning of the end. He swarmed Holloway with a barrage of punches to the head and body. Holloway circled away from Topuria, but just seconds later, Topuria came forward again, landed a few more shots, and then dropped Holloway with a left hook. Topuria landed a few hammerfists on the ground before referee Marc Goddard stepped in.
“I caught him with many punches, but exactly with that right hand, I felt it,” Topuria said. “I saw it in his face. He started to make some steps back, and you don’t see that often in Max Holloway that he makes steps back. … My brother told me from the corner, ‘Keep pushing, keep putting the pressure on him.’ This is what I did, and finally I got the knockout.”
Topuria is now in the mix for Fighter of the Year after knocking out two of the greatest featherweights in UFC history, Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, in back-to-back fights. Topuria dethroned Volkanovski – who held the belt since December 2019 – with a devastating second-round stoppage at UFC 298 in February. The win over Holloway signifies a new era in the division, as Topuria, 27, has led the way for the next generation of featherweights since making his UFC debut in 2020.
However, UFC CEO Dana White said at the postfight press conference he wants to schedule a second fight between Topuria and Volkanovski next. Volkanovski went into the Octagon after the fight and talked to Topuria, who said he was open to the rematch.
“We’re gonna do it again,” Topuria said to Volkanovski. “You deserve that.”
Volkanovski hasn’t competed since his loss to Topuria, but many would argue he earned the right to an automatic rematch by defending the title five consecutive times.
The fight between Topuria and Holloway was action-packed from start to finish. Topuria showed off his speed advantage in the early moments, connecting with a few hard punches. Holloway kept him at bay with leg kicks and combinations.
Two judges had Topuria winning 20-18 and the third had the fight tied 19-19 going into the third.
With the victory, Topuria, who has Georgian roots and resides in Spain, improved his UFC record to 8-0 and his pro record to 16-0.
Holloway’s three-fight winning streak ended. He captured the BMF title with a thrilling, last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April. The Hawaiian lost for the first time since challenging Volkanovski for the featherweight title in a trilogy bout in July 2022.
Holloway suffered just the second stoppage defeat of his career. The first came via submission against Dustin Poirier in 2012. Holloway is now 22-8 in the UFC and 26-8 as a pro.
“We got ready for everything,” Holloway said. “He just landed a shot, and I guess it hurt a lot more than I thought it did. … I went out here, did my thing. He was just the better man tonight.”
