A 13-fight card at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi was headlined by a featherweight title fight between champion Ilia Topuria and former champ Max Holloway. Topuria, Khamzat Chimaev and Magomed Ankalaev emerged as big winners from the night, but what’s next for each fighter? To make sense of it all, Andreas Hale, Brett Okamoto and Jeff Wagenheim offer their final takeaways on a dramatic night of fights.
Topuria delivers a first-class performance
Ilia Topuria has made only this one defense of his featherweight championship, but in Saturday’s UFC 308 main event, he accomplished a lot. First, he did something no fighter had ever done. Then he did something this sport could use much more of.
By knocking out Max Holloway, Topuria did what the sport’s leading purveyor of violence, Justin Gaethje, could not do. He did what a parade of former UFC champions from Alexander Volkanovski to José Aldo, Frankie Edgar to Anthony Pettis and Charles Oliveira to Conor McGregor could not. Volkanovski and Aldo, two of the greatest featherweights ever, had multiple shots and couldn’t get it done.
But Topuria did, and his stunning third-round KO dealt a blow that had not happened in the previous 33 fights in Holloway’s career. “Blessed” had never previously even been knocked off his feet.
Topuria now stands in a category of one. That’s the kind of thing people say about fighters who are considered the greatest ever in their weight class. And while it’s premature to anoint the 27-year-old Spaniard as the featherweight GOAT, even if you couple this performance with the knockout of Volkanovski back in February that made him the champion, Topuria is headed in that distinguished direction by leaps and bounds.
No less notable than the knockout performance, though, was the class that Topuria showed in the moments after his victory. He twice spent extended time embracing Holloway, then referred to the former champ as “a legend,” saying, “I represent the new generation, and I hope I’m going to be a small portion of the example he has been for me for the new generation.”
Topuria’s graciousness continued even when Volkanovski was brought into the cage just as the champ was being asked who should get the next title shot. After the men shook hands, the champ said Volkanovski is most deserving. “He defended his title seven times, I don’t know how many times,” Topuria said. “If someone deserves it, it’s him.”
None of these kind words diminished the ferocity Topuria brought to his fights with Holloway and Volkanovski. If either of those ex-champs gets a rematch, Topuria will be flinging leather their way at full force again. He doesn’t need to trash talk anyone. Topuria understands what it means to be a true champion. — Wagenheim
It’s title time for Chimaev
Is there any reason the UFC shouldn’t catapult Khamzat Chimaev into a title fight? Who are we kidding here?
I know the promotion promised former champion Sean Strickland a rematch with the man who took his title with a narrow decision. But this promise deserves to be broken because what Chimaev did to Robert Whittaker was a frightening reminder of why many crowned him a future champion just four fights into his UFC career back in 2021.
The health issues shouldn’t be ignored, as they have slowed Chimaev from injecting himself into the title picture. But what he did to a former world champion who hadn’t been submitted in nearly 13 years didn’t serve as a suggestion — it was a demand.
Strickland beating Paulo Costa by split decision and Chimaev steamrolling the higher-ranked Whittaker aren’t in the same stratosphere when it comes to which performance is deserving of a title opportunity.
Yes, Strickland will certainly be unhappy that Chimaev jumped the line, but this was a one-sided outing against a former champion. Whittaker landed a grand total of two leg kicks before being sucked into the Chimaev vacuum and being forced to wear a “Borz” blanket.
And let’s talk about that finish. It may have looked like Whittaker tapped early once the face crank was sunk in. However, Daniel Cormier shared a photo of Whittaker’s crushed jaw on the broadcast, further cementing Chimaev as a force unlike any other in the division.
Chimaev took zero damage in the fight and said he is ready to challenge for the gold. It would be silly to deny him that opportunity. Sometimes, waiting for a title opportunity leaves you open to watching someone dart ahead of you. It’s the cost of standing still when everyone else is moving. But, honestly, isn’t the fight to make for Strickland a rematch with Israel Adesanya?
How about we do that and let Du Plessis and Chimaev duke it out in early 2025. — Hale
How the UFC treats the Ankalaev situation is anyone’s guess
For my money, Magomed Ankalaev should have already been a UFC champion. I thought, very strongly, he beat Jan Blachowicz when they fought for the vacant title in 2022. The judges ruled that one a split draw, as UFC CEO Dana White was not a fan of how it played out, and Ankalaev has been on the slowest possible route back to a title ever since. The UFC already passed him up for a title fight earlier this year, when a 205-pound title shot went to Khalil Rountree, who was much lower in the rankings.
It’s pretty apparent Ankalaev deserves a shot against Alex Pereira, but it’s also quite obvious he’s not the best thing for business. He’s just not. And right now, the UFC has seen some fights go in a way that’s not the best for business. Sean O’Malley losing his title isn’t great for business. Jon Jones fighting once in over a year as heavyweight champion, not great. Belal Muhammad, widely known for his tendency to take opponents the distance, also not great.
The UFC is fantastic in that it regularly makes fights of the best against the best, but I do wonder how they’ll handle this one. A lot could ride on what happens next month at heavyweight between Jones and Stipe Miocic. Who wins that? And who retires after? — Okamoto