Ilia Topuria will look to change the narrative again as he looks to defend his title from the beloved Max Holloway at UFC 308.
El Matador can take the fight anywhere and finish it 🤯@TopuriaIlia makes his first title defense Saturday night at #UFC308
[ @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/Dh2kBfjuEp
— UFC (@ufc) October 21, 2024
UFC 298 this past February, and the aftermath, went as perfectly as one could script for Ilia Topuria. The undefeated featherweight completed his journey to gold by stopping the longtime kingpin in Alexander Volkanovski and soon found himself to be a media darling as he went back home to Spain to a hero’s welcome that saw him celebrated in the home stadium of soccer powerhouse Real Madrid. Not only was “El Matador” the champion of the world, he was now the champion who appeared unstoppable in his quest to bring the UFC to his home country.
But victories over Volkanovski, Josh Emmett, and Bryce Mitchell are not quite enough yet to secure Topuria’s legacy as an all-time great. It is that fact that makes his next fight so precarious. His next foe is arguably more beloved and dangerous than Volkanovski and poses a completely different kind of threat than his last former champion. Holloway masterfully turned the tables on the champion publicly, turning the crowd on the new champion in April to insinuate that he was running from the Hawaiian contender. Topuria has now been painted as the antagonist of the story looking to spoil Holloway’s resurgence to the title, but it is on the Spaniard to now tune out the noise and show that it is his time now.
IT. LEFT. US. SPEECHLESS. @BlessedMMA's last second KO at #UFC300 earned this months @JoseCuervo Shot of the Month! 👊 pic.twitter.com/AVWHEudClo
— UFC (@ufc) April 29, 2024
Max Holloway was not out of the conversation, but he certainly wasn’t given an easy route back to the summit. After losing for a third time to Volkanovski, the longtime featherweight champion bounced back first against perennial top contender Arnold Allen before being booked for a lightweight bout against reigning lightweight BMF champion Justin Gaethje. Facing a surging foe known for his formidable destructive abilities, Holloway was not as heavily favored as he’d been in many bouts prior. However, it made his moment all the more special as he turned in a masterful performance in out-striking Gaethje before the now iconic signal toward the Octagon and initiating a brawl that ended the show. It was a seminal moment in a career that most already have on the short list for the Hall of Fame. Should he follow it up with a victory over Topuria to regain his title, it would initiate a new chapter for him at a time when it was unclear if he would be have another shot at the summit so soon.
Only one can sit atop the featherweight throne 👑@TopuriaIlia vs @BlessedMMA@VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi #UFC308 | Live SATURDAY on @ESPNPlus PPV | 2pmET/11amPT pic.twitter.com/l8FnrIdAB1
— UFC (@ufc) October 25, 2024
The future appears to be very clear at featherweight at the moment with the surging Diego Lopes seemingly in line for a shot at the belt after his 3-0 run this year. Should he not be the choice, then the winner of the fight between former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and undefeated Movsar Evloev would figure to be the most logical choice. That said, the next move may not even be at featherweight at all. Topuria has already mentioned interest in going after the title at lightweight and has already competed there in the past in the UFC. Holloway won the BMF title at 155 pounds and it’s not outrageous to think that an opportunity at go for the title there could be lucrative for all involved.
