Ilia Topuria teases UFC 300-style fireworks in fight with Max Holloway
Ilia Topuria recently hinted that his upcoming featherweight title fight against Max Holloway could be action packed and even disclosed how he will start the fight. He promised an exciting bout that will be reminiscent of 'Blessed's 'BMF' title bout against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.
The UFC 300 clash between Holloway and Gaethje saw the two swing wild haymakers in the center of the octagon in the final 10-seconds of the fifth round. Holloway dropped 'The Highlight' with a right-hand in the final second of the bout and earned a knockout win to become the new 'BMF' champion.
The knockout immediately went viral on social media and earned the former featherweight champion a $600,000 post-fight bonus for Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night.
During his appearance on today's episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, the reigning featherweight champion promised to outdo 'Blessed's' exchange with Gaethje when they meet in the main event at UFC 308.
Topuria mentioned that he will stand in the middle of the octagon in the opening 10 seconds and challenged Holloway to do the same and send the fans home happy:
"I'm gonna point [to] the ground and we'll see. We'll see what [Holloway] is going to do. I will be in the middle of the octagon, so let's bang, bro. If you're ready, I was born ready...I wanna give the best and most exciting 10 seconds in history to the fans. They deserve it."
Check out the full episode featuring Ilia Topuria below:
When is Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway taking place?
Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway is a highly anticipated featherweight title clash that is scheduled to headline UFC 308, which takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26.
Topuria will be making his first title defense following his impressive knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski this past February. Meanwhile, Holloway is coming off his incredible last-second knockout win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 this past April, which was contested at 155 pounds for the 'BMF' title.
Check out the official promo for UFC 308 featuring Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway below: