Ilia Topuria wants to fight Max Holloway in The Sphere for both men’s belts, after Holloway won the “BMF” title and Topuria claimed the featherweight title, with Topuria stating he’s only interested in the fight if the BMF belt is on the line.
Ilia Topuria has his sights set on Max Holloway. He’s keen to face him in The Sphere, with both their titles on the line.
This past weekend, Holloway secured the “BMF” title. He did so with a last-minute knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. Post-fight, Holloway called for a shot at the new featherweight champ. He claimed that Topuria had avoided him on his path to the title. Topuria, however, is more than ready to step up.
Topuria believes the UFC has been saving Holloway for this moment. He revealed this on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour. He’s been asking to fight Holloway for a while now. Before his bout with Volkanovski, he was already calling Holloway out.
“Max Holloway, he’s next,” Topuria declared. He’s unbothered by Holloway’s claims of him running. He challenged Holloway to bring the same energy he had in the last 10 seconds of his fight with Gaethje, but in the first 10 seconds of their fight. Topuria is confident he’ll be the first to knock Holloway out. He believes he’s superior in every aspect and can finish Holloway however he pleases.
Topuria became the featherweight champion in February. He achieved this with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. Holloway, on the other hand, has a losing record against Volkanovski. Topuria made it clear that he’s only interested in fighting Holloway because of the BMF belt. If that’s not part of the deal, then he’s not interested.
Topuria is excited about the prospect of adding the BMF belt to his legacy. He’s already a UFC Champion, and becoming the Baddest Motherf***** would be a great addition. He’s even considering going for a second weight class. Without the BMF belt, however, he has no interest in Holloway. If that’s the case, he’d rather rematch with Volkanovski.
Topuria is still open to fighting Volkanovski after he beats Holloway. He believes the former champ deserves a rematch, but he wants him to be fully fit for it. He’s eyeing UFC 306 for his return fight. This event is the highly anticipated promotional debut in The Sphere in Las Vegas on Sep. 14. It aligns perfectly with his plans.
Topuria also has plans to bring the UFC to Spain. He’s aiming to do this in the first trimester of the next year. That’s why he wants to fight in September or October.
As of now, Holloway seems to be the most probable opponent for Topuria’s first title defense. Despite the new BMF champ recently suggesting a rematch with Conor McGregor could be next for him. This is after McGregor makes his return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303. If that happens, Topuria has a simple message for Holloway:
“The message is clear: Just get ready, be waiting for the call,” Topuria said. He’ll be deciding on the date and place. He wants Holloway to bring the same energy he had in his last fight. He’s confident he’ll knock Holloway out.
Topuria believes Holloway knows this. That’s why he’s started calling out other fighters. He’s even started calling out Conor McGregor. Topuria doesn’t understand why Holloway lost interest in fighting him. He’s never run from Holloway. He’s never had Holloway’s name on his contract. But now, he’s asking for Holloway, and he promises it’s going to be a tough night for him.