Written by Chael Sonnen doubts Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway will go the distance.
Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) defends his featherweight title against Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the UFC 308 main event Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
Topuria won the featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. Holloway never has been knocked out in his career, but Sonnen says that’s the only way he envisions Topuria getting his hand raised.
“So what will happen if Topuria knocks out Max Holloway, which, by the way, I think is the only way he’s going to beat him,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “I think one of these guys has got to stop the other one because that heart and that grit, that ‘I’m coming after you, I’m going to keep on trying to win,’ I don’t think that’s a switch that gets flipped off.”
In his first and only five-round fight in June 2023, “El Matador” was able to keep a frenetic pace to batter Josh Emmett for 25 minutes in a Fight of the Night battle. Despite passing that test comfortably, Sonnen thinks there are still some question marks surrounding Topuria’s career.
“We must be pretty fair with Ilia Topuria. We don’t know a ton,” Sonnen said. “One of the times where Topuria, for me, really opened my eyes was this fight with Josh Emmett, and that’s a fight that you guys probably don’t even think of. That was a fight, with me, where I stood back and go, ‘Hey, wait a minute. There’s something here.’”
Related
Daniel Cormier praises Ilia Topuria for ‘very smart’ approach in Max Holloway face-to-face interview
Ilia Topuria challenges Max Holloway to Justin Gaethje-like exchange at UFC 308 in heated interview
Joe Rogan marvels at UFC champ Ilia Topuria’s ‘phenomenal technique’
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.