When Ilia Topuria (15-0) is asked what would happen if she beat Max Holloway (26-7), the answer could not be more blunt: «It’s not if I win, the victory is already mine». The medals, he assures, are earned in training, one goes to the competition to collect them. “That’s why this Saturday I’m going to collect what’s mine,” the current UFC featherweight champion reaffirms in confidence to this newspaper. The Hispanic-Georgian’s overflowing confidence invites us to believe that he will retain the world belt, something that will be vital to continue building his legacy as a sports superstar and consolidating the growth of mixed martial arts -MMA- in Spain. It seems like an easy undertaking, but it is not, at least on paper. Let’s go to the context.
Topuria, which has become a mass phenomenon within our borders, seeks to break down the mistrust generated by having only fought one fight for the belt to become a star outside of them as well. “It was a stroke of luck” or “Volkanovski was coming off a knockout” were some of the phrases that were heard on the other side of the pond, where the important portion of the market in this sport is taken over. And they named Max Holloway. A very tough test, of legendary stature based on his career in MMA, which the Hispanic-Georgian will have to solve this Saturday in the octagon of UFC 308, which will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
But here there will be no room for excuses from third parties: the Hawaiian comes to the fight after having knocked out Justin Gaethje in the last second of the fight, leaving one of the most iconic images of recent times, and having obtained the symbolic BMF title (translated as the most seasoned fighter). At 32 years old, the one who was the featherweight champion of the American company between 2017 and 2019 arrives at a spectacular moment, on equal terms. The one who wins will come out extremely strengthened.
For Topuria, beating Volkanovski (one of the best in the division historically) and Holloway, another former champion with a fighting style highly appreciated by fans, in the same year would be entering the legend of the major league through the front door. mixed martial arts company on a planetary level, something for which he does not feel the slightest pressure.
«I can’t feel it, the only pressure is that of cutting weight. It amuses me to fight, to have everyone supporting me, sharing my experience. In the old days people went to war and didn’t know if they were going to come home, I don’t have any of those fears. I’m going to go in and do what I like the most. I’m going to fight Max Holloway, a guy who is not known for doing a lot of damage, he has no KO power, he is a high volume fighter, who tends to tire out opponents, but that is not going to be the case for me. “I’m not prepared to fight 5 rounds, I’m prepared to fight 10, 15 or 20 if you want,” Topuria explains to ABC during Fight Week in Abu Dhabi.
An unstoppable rise
The truth is that the trajectory of the Hispanic-Georgian champion has been meteoric within the American company, until he managed to position himself as a star. Topuria, who had an undefeated professional record of 8-0, arrived at the UFC in October 2020, when he debuted with a victory against Youssef Zalal, accepting the fight with only 8 days’ notice. That same year, he knocked out Damon Jackson and his name was already beginning to be heard at featherweight.
Already in 2021, his fight against Ryan Hall would arrive, one of those fighters that no one wanted to compete against and Topuria knocked him out in just one round. A year later, he would obtain his media explosion, managing to knock out Jai Herbert in London and submit the American promise Bryce Mitchell. Meanwhile, the work on his image and his social networks helped him position himself as a name to take into account to transcend this discipline.
Last year, gave a hitting lecture in Jacksonville against Josh Emmettwhich allowed him last February to obtain the starting opportunity against Volkanovski. Two rounds helped him explode like a superstar by fastening the UFC world champion belt. Now, the time has come to consolidate his legacy and to achieve the next dream on his list: bring the UFC to Spain, something that could happen in 2025.
For its part, Holloway is an absolute legend of this sport. At only 21 years old, the Hawaiian debuted in the largest MMA league in the world. Although he lost against Dustin Poirier in that fight in 2012, he subsequently chained three consecutive victories. His next setback would come against Dennis Bermúdez and later with Conor McGregor, in 2013. Since then, he achieved a positive streak of 13 consecutive victories, including winning the featherweight belt and his defense against Jose Aldo and Brian Ortega.
It would be Alexander Volkanovski, the man from whom Topuria took the belt, who would provide him with his worst punishment: three defeats in three fights, all of them for the title that El Matador currently holds. Now, after three consecutive wins against Arnold Allen, Chan-sung Jung and Justin Gaethje (the latter at lightweight and for the BMF belt), he has achieved a rebirth that leads him to the starting opportunity this Saturday against the Spaniard.
The main event at UFC 308 will be Holloway’s thirtieth fight in the largest MMA league in the world, which shows that, at 32 years old, he is an absolute active legend of this discipline. Therefore, a victory for Topuria would lift him up to the biggest names in UFC history.
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