"This has hurt my soul" - Tom Aspinall reacts to Max Holloway and Robert Whittaker's losses at UFC 308
Tom Aspinall claimed the UFC 308 losses of Max Holloway and Robert Whittaker "hurt his soul a little bit."
On Saturday night, UFC 308 took place inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main event featured featherweight champion Ilia Topuria knocking out Holloway to defend his title. As for the co-main event, Khamzat Chimaev made a massive statement by securing a first-round submission against Whittaker.
The impressive performances from Topuria and Chimaev were well-respected within the MMA community. With that said, many people were also disappointed to see Holloway and Whittaker lose, as they are massive fan favorites.
UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall posted a reaction video on his YouTube channel and had this to say:
"Obviously, we've got two absolute fan favorites, two fighter favorites. Max Holloway being one in the main event, and in the co-main, Robert Whittaker. Unfortunately for me, this has hurt my soul a little bit because I absolutely love both of these guys as do all the fighters, and as do 99% of the fans out there."
Aspinall continued:
"So, our guys lost tonight, unfortunately, but, of course, we appreciate the winners. We appreciate Khamzat Chimaev. We appreciate Ilia Topuria as well."
Watch Tom Aspinall's comments about the UFC 308 main event and co-main event starting at 0:39 below:
What could be next for Max Holloway and Robert Whittaker in the UFC?
Max Holloway and Robert Whittaker suffered significant setbacks at UFC 308. Luckily, the former UFC champions don't plan to retire.
Firstly, Holloway has two options considering his legendary knockout against Justin Gaethje was at lightweight. 'Blessed' could take on a top featherweight contender and pursue another title shot or move up to 155 pounds and potentially find more success due to a decreased weight cut.
It should be noted that Holloway hopes to fight Volkanovski again before retiring, as the latter holds three wins against him.
As for Whittaker, the former UFC middleweight champion likely won't be changing divisions. Therefore, the 33-year-old could find himself matched up against various top contenders at 185 pounds, including number four-ranked Nassourdine Imavo and number five-ranked Caio Borralho.