Ilia Topuria stays on prime at UFC 308
The Final Combating Championship returned to us at this time, October 26, 2024, for UFC 308, happening reside from the Etihad Area in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Headlining the occasion was a featherweight title bout between present Ilia Topuria (16-0) and no. 2 ranked former champion Max Holloway (26-8).
Topuria got here into his first title protection at this time having gone an ideal 7-0 by means of seven promotional outings, having defeated the likes of Youssef Zalal (UD), Damon Jackson (KO), Ryan Corridor (KO), Jai Herbert (KO), Bryce Mitchell (arm-triangle choke), Josh Emmett (UD), and Alexander Volkanovski (KO) when he captured the title earlier this yr at UFC 298.
Holloway however got here into this night’s foremost occasion on a three-fight win streak, having gone 18-3 by means of 21 featherweight bouts since 2013 (solely shedding title fights to Volkanovski), most lately defeating Arnold Allen (UD), Chan Sung Jung (KO), and Justin Gaethje (KO) in his newest three appearances.
Proceed studying to see how our UFC 308 featherweight championship foremost occasion went down:
Official Outcome: Ilia Topuria def. Max Holloway by way of KO (punches) at 1:34 of spherical three
Topuria pointed down on the middle of the octagon as soon as the bout started, simply as he acknowledged he’d do, although Holloway didn’t play into it. Topuria secured a pleasant takedown about 90 seconds in, although was unable to do something with it and Holloway started to select him aside together with his slick placing because the opening spherical went on.
Topuria caught Holloway towards the top of the spherical, although it regarded extra like a slip than a knockdown, ending the spherical on Holloway’s again.
Topuria landed a couple of strong leg kicks within the first as properly, and continued kicking the lead leg of Holloway within the second the place he started to search out his vary to land a lot of heavy punches, primarily his overhand proper and left hook. Holloway additionally continued touchdown loads on him as properly, throwing way more quantity than the champion.
Topuria harm Holloway with a vicious overhand proper within the third, unloading on him alongside the fence going to each the physique and the top with nasty combos earlier than Holloway circled off it. He wasn’t out of hazard nonetheless as Topuria adopted him and landed a left hook that completely floored the previous champion, following up with floor strikes for the knockout victory within the center stretch.
ILIA TOPURIA PUTS HOLLOWAY’S LIGHTS OUT OMG#UFC308 pic.twitter.com/SHUkYN6hZY
— ᴅ (@DRaps04) October 26, 2024
Ilia Topuria stays atop of the 145 lb division following a really spectacular efficiency this night at UFC 308. He grew to become the primary man to formally drop Max Holloway, and simply as he promised, he grew to become the primary man to ever cease him with strikes; all after making lovely mid-fight changes too, Holloway didn’t make it simple for him.
Who would you prefer to see Ilia Topuria defend his title towards subsequent?
On the quick record isn’t any. 3 ranked Diego Lopes, who’s at the moment 26-6 as knowledgeable and driving a five-fight win streak, and likewise no. 5 ranked Movsar Evloev (ought to he get previous Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310), who’s an ideal 18-0 by means of his profession up to now with an eight-fight win streak contained in the UFC’s featherweight division.
Six undefeated fighters entered the octagon at this time at UFC 308, and 5 left undefeated: Farid Basharat, Shara Magomedov, Lerone Murphy, Khamzat Chimaev, and naturally, Ilia Topuria.
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