Ilia Topuria beat Max Holloway to retain the UFC featherweight title at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi with the American struggling the primary knockout defeat of his profession.
Topuria (16-0) fired in a proper hand which dazed Holloway earlier than following up with a robust left hook that dropped the 32-year-old within the third spherical.
Topuria pounced on Holloway instantly for a ground-and-pound end earlier than referee Mark Goddard stopped the bout on the 1:34 mark of the third spherical.
“To beat a legend like Max Holloway, I don’t know what to say,” Topuria stated.
“He’s been a great example for the generation. I hope I’m going to be a small example he has been for me for the new generation.”
Topuria stated he knew instantly together with his preliminary energy punch that the victory was inside his grasp.
“I caught him with the right hand, I felt it,” Topuria stated. “I saw it in his face. You don’t see that often in Max Holloway.”
In the course of the first spherical, Topuria did some early harm with leg kicks to Holloway’s lead leg.
Each fighters’ boxing expertise have been on show within the second spherical, with Holloway touchdown a number of large photographs but it surely was Topuria’s leg kicks that seemingly continued to weaken Holloway.
Then got here his two large punches within the third.
“He just landed a shot and I guess it hurt much more than I thought it did,” stated Holloway, who fell to 26-8.
“I felt great until he did it. No excuses. I felt great, I had a great camp, no injuries. I went out there, did my thing. He was just a better man.”
Topuria inflicted a career-first knockdown on Holloway
It was Topuria’s first title defence since capturing the belt with a second-round technical knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February earlier this 12 months.
Topuria’s back-to-back victories over Holloway and Volkanovski make a case for him to be named fighter of the 12 months.
Volkanovski was in attendance and Topuria stated he would honour him with a rematch.
“You deserve that, you’re the man,” Topuria informed Volkanovski.
Within the co-main occasion, No 13 Khamzat Chimaev (14-0) stopped No 3 Robert Whitaker (27-8) with a first-round submission simply 3:34 into the battle, after taking him down and administering a depraved face crank.
“I’m going for the belt!” Chimaev stated after his dominating win.
“I love you brother, you’re a legend,” the Russian informed Whitaker throughout his post-fight interview.
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