Ilia Topuria confirms Max Holloway as his next opponent for title defense

UFC Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is finally set to return as he has confirmed that his next bout will be with none other than Max Holloway. UFC 298 and UFC 300 this year gave fans two most shocking moments. First Topuria defeated Alexander Volkanovski via KO at UFC 298 to win the featherweight title. At UFC 300, Max Holloway made a stunning return to the lightweight division, capturing the BMF Championship with a stunning knockout to Justin Gaethje.  

Topuria updates fans about new matchup 

Since April 2024, fans have been eagerly waiting for Topuria’s first title defense against Holloway. Finalizing the matchup took some time, but now a recent update from “El Matador” indicates that it is soon going to be announced officially. The Spanish fighter took X and tweeted, “It seems that the UFC has forced him to say yes, El Matador is back. Congratulations to all UFC fans.” 

Topuria has made it clear he only wants to fight “Blessed” if both their titles are at stake. UFC CEO Dana White has been reluctant to confirm the fight, but speculation continues to grow. Holloway last challenged for the featherweight title in a trilogy bout against Volkanovski in July 2022. Despite losing via unanimous decision, his recent performances have elevated his status as a strong fighter and contender. His record has now reached 26-7 after excellent wins over Arnold Allen and Chan Sung Jung following his knockout of Gaethje. 

El Matador aims to maintain his undefeated streak 

Topuria will aim to maintain his winning streak and undefeated record of 15-0 against Holloway. A clash between these two featherweight rivals has been discussed on several fight cards. UFC 307 or UFC 308 are potential dates for this highly anticipated clash.

After knocking out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, Holloway immediately set his sights on Topuria. Holloway held the featherweight title for nearly three years and aims to capture it back. Initially, it was expected that Topuria would face Volkanovski in a rematch, who has held a title for a long time. However, the Australian fighter is expected to take a break for some time after consecutive knockout losses. Before getting knocked out by Holloway at UFC 298, Volkanovski was defeated by Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 via knockout in a light heavyweight title fight. 

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