Max Holloway last held the UFC featherweight title over 1,778 days ago. He will have to wait longer, as Ilia Topuria put the dominant striker to sleep to retain the belt at UFC 308.
Topuria secured his status as the face of the division and maybe even the UFC.
The fight had a big-time boxing feel, with two of the best facing off in the center of the octagon. They traded shots to the face and body, with Topuria landing takedowns in the first round. However, Holloway landed volume blows and mesmerized many with his significant strike output. Topuria didn't waver and decided to shift and go after the calf of Holloway in the second round.
While Holloway could absorb shots like no other, he felt a sharp right that pushed him back. Topuria then landed combinations and knocked Holloway down. The referee saw enough, and Topuria became the first fighter to knock "Blessed" out. The crowd in Abu Dhabi went wild as Topuria celebrated with soccer star Sergio Ramos.
AND STILL! ILIA TOPURIA KNOCKS OUT MAX HOLLOWAY 😱 #UFC308@VisitAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/i5jFREYYXC
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) October 26, 2024
By taking out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in 2024, he may have taken Fighter of the Year from Alex Pereira. "El Matador" could face Volkanovski in a rematch next, or Diego Lopes. There is also Conor McGregor, though it is unknown if he will ever fight again.
Holloway's three-fight win streak has come to an end. What is next for the 32-year-old BMF Champion, who must start at the bottom, is unknown.
It was a rough night for fan favorites at UFC 308.
MORE: Khamzat scores first-round submission victory over Whittaker
It has become rare to see him fight since he burst onto the scene in 2020. However, when Khamzat Chimaev is healthy, he is dangerous. Chimaev proved that against former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, forcing the Aussie to tap in the first round.
Chimaev was supposed to fight Whittaker in the summer before suffering an illness. He made up for lost time by grabbing Whittaker by the cage right away, holding him down. Whittaker tried to fight out of it, but Chimaev was too much to handle. Eventually, he locked in a rear-naked choke that appeared to break Whittaker's jaw for the quick tap.
It is only a matter of when, not if, that Chimaev fights for gold. For now, Dricus du Plessis defends the middleweight title against Sean Strickland. However, with that performance, Chimaev may have cut the line.
🗣️ "GIVE ME THE BELT!" @KChimaev wants a title shot next!
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) October 26, 2024
Watch #UFC308 in UK/Ireland ➡️ https://t.co/2kha10wNbK 📺@VisitAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/pCvuLv181p
Magomed Ankalaev was told by everyone he needed to step it up to fight for light heavyweight gold, even as the top contender in the rankings. He may not have knocked Aleksandar Rakic out, but Ankalaev used power to beat the latter via unanimous decision. His wrestling wasn't utilized, as Ankalaev proved he could strike whenever needed.
The Russian has not lost in thirteen straight contests. It is up to UFC matchmakers, UFC CEO Dana White, and Pereira, the UFC light heavyweight champion, who may move in weight, to see if Ankalaev is next.
Lerone Murphy and Dan Ige competed in an entertaining affair, exchanging shots and takedowns for three rounds. It was a split fight until the third round, where the undefeated Murphy had the edge as the round went on. The 33-year-old could see a move to the top ten at featherweight. He called out Josh Emmett after.
Shara Magomedov opened the main card in brutal fashion, beating a game Armen Petrosyan. "Shara Bullet" was in trouble early as Petrosyan played it close to the vest, not giving him a chance to breathe. The former recovered well and adapted. Eventually, he landed double spinning backfists, the eleventh time a fight ended in the UFC via a backfist.
The Russian has now won four straight in the UFC. He called out some of the top middleweight stars, including Whittaker and Israel Adesanya.
The Sporting News provided results from the entire UFC 308 fight card!
UFC 308 full card results
Main Card
- Ilia Topuria (c) def. Max Holloway via KO for the UFC featherweight title (1:34 into round three)
- Khamzat Chimaev def. Robert Whittaker via rear-naked choke (3:34 into round one)
- Magomed Anakalev def. Aleksandar Rakic via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Lerone Murphy def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Shara Magomedov def. Armen Petrosyan via KO (4:52 into round two)
Prelims
- Ibo Aslan def. Raffael Cerqueira via TKO (0:51 into round one)
- Geoff Neal def. Rafael dos Anjos via TKO (1:30 into round one)
- Mateusz Rebecki def. Myktybek Orolbai via split decision (28–29, 29–28, 29–28)
- Abus Magomedov def. Brunno Ferreira via arm triangle (3:14 into round three)
- Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Chris Barnett via TKO (4:27 into round one)
- Farid Basharat def. Victor Hugo via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ismail Naurdiev def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Carlos Leal via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)
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