Tag: Max Holloway

Video: Ilia Topuria, Max Holloway cross paths with Alexander Volkanovski during UFC 308 fight week

Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway, separately, were cordial with Alexander Volkanovski when they crossed paths at the UFC 308 host hotel.

It looks like almost the entire UFC featherweight title picture is in Abu Dhabi, and it was just a matter of time until paths were crossed during UFC 308 fight week.

Champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] clash this Saturday in the main event of UFC 308 in a highly anticipated bout. And keeping a close eye on the result is former champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag], who’s angling for a shot to reclaim his title.

On Tuesday, both Topuria and Holloway, separately, crossed paths with their former and potentially again future rival, Volkanovski, at the host hotel. It was all respect between them despite the history and potential implications.

You can watch videos of their cordial interactions below:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC 308 ‘Embedded,’ No. 2: Surf’s up on Fight Island!

On the second episode of UFC 308 “Embedded,” Dan Ige catches some waves before fight week kicks into high gear.

The UFC is back in Abu Dhabi for UFC 308, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

In the headliner, featherweight champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he takes on former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC). In the co-feature, [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) meets former champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) to determine the next top contender at middleweight.

The second episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Khamzat enjoys sports with friends and teammates; Champion Topuria watches his son train BJJ; RDA visits a shooting range and spends time with his family at the park; Lerone Murphy prepares in England; Max trains and gives interviews in Dubai; Whittaker hits the gym with his father by his side.

Previous UFC 308 ‘Embedded’ episodes

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Max Holloway doubts he can surpass Alex Pereira for Fighter of the Year with Ilia Topuria win

Max Holloway was honest in response when asked about his potential running for Fighter of the Year.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] was honest in response when asked about his potential running for Fighter of the Year.

Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) kicked off his 2024 with an iconic last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje to claim the BMF title at UFC 300. He challenges featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

If Holloway can pull off another upset vs. Topuria and reclaim his featherweight title, he certainly would be a candidate for Fighter of the Year. But over UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]? “Blessed” says that’s highly unlikely.

“I mean, I don’t know, man,” Holloway told Kevin Iole. “I don’t know if they would do (Fighter of the Year for me). The way Alex took fights – he’s the fastest guy to defend his title, right, with three title defenses (in 175 days)? That’s a hard man to beat. Every time I’m in the talks for it, somebody’s having a crazy year. I think Alex Pereira has got the win in the bag already.”

With Holloway currently the BMF champion and a ranked UFC lightweight after his finish of Gaethje, he’s not short of options. However, he’s not ready to map out any plans until he fights Topuria.

“We’ll see what happens,” Holloway said. “First thing’s first is Ilia Topuria. I’m not going to look past him. That guy’s a dangerous man, and he deserves all the respect in the world from me and all my focus, so that’s the first thing. Everything goes right come Oct. 26 and I get my hand raised, you can ask me that question after.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Francis Ngannou dominates, UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway preview, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Francis Ngannou’s successful MMA, the upcoming UFC 308 event, and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] reminded the MMA world why he’s one of the most terrifying fighters to ever set foot in the cage. This past Saturday, the former UFC heavyweight champion viciously stopped [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia. It was a big win that shook up the heavyweight landscape. Now that he’s back in MMA, can we say Ngannou remains the “Baddest Man on the Planet”? What should be next for Ngannou? We discuss.
  • Ngannou’s TKO win wasn’t the only thing that made headlines at PFL: Battle of the Giants. Women’s MMA legend [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] picked up a decision win over former PFL champion [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag], [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] defended his Bellator belt in a rematch against [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag], and [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] pulled off an upset by defeating [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag], among other things. We react to some of the key results on PFL’s pay-per-view event.
  • Over in the UFC side of things, [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] dominated [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 245. It was a big win that put Hernandez on a six-fight winning streak, with five of those coming by stoppage. Is Hernandez a serious threat to the middleweight title? Where does Pereira go from here? We dissect the main event of UFC Fight Night 245.
  • Finally, it’s UFC 308 fight week. That’s right, in just a few days time, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] will defend his UFC featherweight title against [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] Preview in an extremely highly-anticipated matchup. There’s a lot on the line here. Could Topuria steal Fighter of the Year with a win over Holloway? Could a win cement Holloway as the greatest to ever do it at featherweight? We break down this championship fight along with other bog bouts in the card, including [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].

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Video: UFC 308 ‘Countdown’ for Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway

Check out the UFC 308 “Countdown” main event video preview for Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway.

Did you miss the debut of UFC 308 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the main event preview now.

The segment takes a special look at the featherweight title fight between unbeaten champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and challenger [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC), a former champ who has won five of his past six, including the “BMF” belt.

UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. “Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Video: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway heats up ahead of UFC 308. Who won dual interview?

What to make of Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway’s UFC 308 pre-fight trash talk? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

The UFC hosted a face-to-face interview with [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] ahead of their championship fight later this month, and it left plenty to talk about.

Topuria and Holloway traded verbal jabs for almost 20 minutes as their rivalry continued to heat up ahead of UFC 308. Topuria, who brought a BMF title to the interview, seemed to irritate Holloway, who’s usually very friendly and respectful toward his opponents.

So, who won in their verbal exchange? What’s the level of excitement for this fight? And what’s the early prediction for the title bout?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Matthew Wells, Danny Segura, and host Gorgeous George answer all these questions and more on the upcoming UFC featherweight championship bout.

Watch their discussion in the video above and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/hQw_JxC0qM8

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Would UFC 308 backup Diego Lopes rather fight Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway on short notice? He explains.

Diego Lopes may or may not fight for the title next week, and he shares his preference for opponent should his services be needed at UFC 308.

[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] may or may not find himself in a UFC championship fight later this month.

The fan-favorite Brazilian will serve as the official backup for the UFC featherweight title fight between champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] on Oct. 26 at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. This means Lopes (26-6 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has been training and will weigh in for the bout, just in case either headliner is forced to withdraw from the bout.

So who would Lopes rather face in an ideal scenario: Topuria or Holloway?

“I definitely would rather fight with Ilia for the undisputed title. That would be amazing,” Lopes told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “We’ve also really analyzed everything. We’ve sat down to analyze both fighters. People might take this the wrong way and say, ‘No, I don’t believe him,’ but I think for me, a fight against Topuria would be a better matchup for my style.

“It’s a fight that suits me. Against Max, it’s a fight where we have to mount a more complex strategy with no errors. With Topuria, as well, I’m not saying no, but I think against him things would be more favorable because I like to exchange and clash, and I hit hard. I’m capable of knocking out people. And since Ilia throws with everything and I throw with everything, we can say it’s a shootout and let’s see who falls first. So the fight against Ilia definitely suits more my style.”

Lopes previously told MMA Junkie that his dream fight would be against Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC). However, under this scenario, if he were to fight Holloway it would likely be for an interim title, given that Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is the champion. This makes a potential fight with Topuria a better choice.

Lopes’ services won’t be needed if both fighters make weight and stay on course. If the fight does go down, Lopes sides with the former champion.

“I’m still giving an edge to Holloway due to all the experience he has in that octagon and all the fighters he’s faced,” Lopes said. “He’s also never been knocked out, but we know anything can happen, and Ilia has power in his hands. However, I’m still giving the advantage to Max.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC champ Ilia Topuria mocks Max Holloway for losing to Conor McGregor, who backs ‘Blessed’

Conor McGregor came to the defense of his former foe, Max Holloway, ahead of UFC 308.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] came to the defense of his former foe, [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], ahead of UFC 308.

Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) challenges featherweight champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the Oct. 26 main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi (ESPN+ pay-per-view). Just this week, Holloway was mocked by Topuria for losing to McGregor by unanimous decision in 2013.

“He got beat by Conor McGregor. When you get beat by Conor McGregor, shut the f*ck up,” Topuria said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “F*ck, bro, forget about it. When Conor McGregor beats you, forget about it.”

After losing to McGregor, Holloway would go on a 13-fight winning streak, including back-to-back finishes of Jose Aldo in title fights. McGregor, who recently has been trading barbs with Topuria, heaped praise on Holloway’s success.

“It’s not a bad shout hahaha but Holloway came back and earned it majorly. Two time FW champion. Attempted double champ. Is current BMF champ. Nah, he the real deal. Always was, always is. Holloway is an always was, always is. 1000% He became way better after losing to me. He actually became an all-time great after losing to me. This is a stellar fight folks! He took moves as well with him. He became ambidextrous after fighting me. He can fight in both stances now as good as each other. He will be very hard to catch for the little man. Don’t walk into a crushing blow bro. He is strong too. And very experienced! 100%! BIG FIGHT FEEL FOR ME HERE, FOLKS! Oh yes Let’s go! #yawelcome #ufcabudhabi.”

McGregor also took the opportunity to take shots at Topuria, coining a new nickname for him.

“Little puppy paws he has. Check the little puppy paws on him. He is Spanish is he? Has he a fight nickname, this guy? I now christen him ‘The Puppy.'”

“Georgia does not have bullfighting. His prior nickname is terminated. He is now “The Puppy” Which is a good name, everybody likes puppies 🐶.”

Topuria fired back, dubbing McGregor a fake fighter.

“100% Max has improved after fighting you. He must have realized that if he wanted to make a living from this, he couldn’t be so bad as to lose to someone like you. Nowadays, he beats you easily. Dustin knocked you out in the rematches, Nate beat you two times, Khabib humiliated you, and Floyd gave you a master class in boxing at 50 years old. Take a seat kid. you’re a fake fighter.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Max Holloway confident he’ll make 145 pounds for UFC 308 title fight: ‘I’ve never missed weight’

Max Holloway says there should be no concern surrounding his move back down to featherweight ahead of UFC 308.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] says there should be no concern surrounding his move back down to featherweight ahead of UFC 308.

Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) challenges 145-pound champion Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the UFC 308 main event Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Holloway is coming off a last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in a lightweight bout to claim the BMF title. It was Holloway’s second crack at 155 pounds in the UFC, but this time, he went through a proper process of building into the necessary frame.

Now Holloway must drop back down to 145 pounds to face Topuria, and he is confident in his team.

“Everybody keeps talking about the weight coming into this fight,” Holloway said on his YouTube channel. “The whole question before the last fight was the weight, and now the whole question about this fight is the weight because of what we did in the last fight. But it is what it is. I got the best person behind me. I got my wife, she’s chefing it up, and I got my man Tyler Minton back on the team. He’s going to be out there with us fight week, and he’s one of the best guys in the biz.

“I’ve never missed weight. I’ve never missed no weight in my whole career, and I ain’t planning on starting to miss weight for this fight because this fight, it took a whole lot of work to get back here. People said that I shouldn’t be here, that I should have done something else, I should focus on something else, I’m done, I’m past what I can do in this sport. But then again, we’re here, and we’re fighting for a world title against this new generation that they’re talking about.”

According to DraftKings, Holloway is a +220 underdog against undefeated Topuria, who’s a -270 favorite.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Chael Sonnen sees Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway ending only by knockout at UFC 308

Chael Sonnen doubts Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway will go the distance at UFC 308.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] doubts [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] 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.'”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.