Ilia Topuria defends his featherweight championship against Max Holloway, while Khamzat Chimaev of Chechnya remains undefeated in the middleweight division.

Champion Ilia Topuria overcame early adversity to score a resounding third-round knockout victory over Hawaii’s Max Holloway to retain the UFC featherweight title at UFC 308 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The 27-year-old Topuria scored an early takedown but struggled to close the distance during the first two frames of an intriguing title fight. Once he figured it out, the writing was on the wall for his opponent.

Holloway, who defeated Jose Aldo to become the undisputed featherweight champion in June 2017 but lost the title in December 2019, used his dazzling array of strikes to keep his Georgia-born opponent at bay, but Topuria’s piston-like right hand shaped the entire match a threat. Saturday evening.

That right hand was the beginning of Holloway’s downfall, but it was a short follow-up left that sent Holloway crashing to the canvas and Topuria quickly followed him to the ground, raining blows before referee Marc Goddard stepped in to stop the fight.

“I felt it with that right hand. I just saw it with him, in his face, he started to take a few steps back, and you don’t see that often with Max,” Topuria said, paying tribute to his opponent as Holloway suffered his first UFC knockout loss -tenure suffered.

“I hope I will be a small part of the example he has been for me, for the new generation.”

Chimaev’s victory sets up a possible title fight with Du Plessis

In the co-main event, undefeated Chechen Khamzat Chimaev put on another dominant wrestling display before submitting former champion Robert Whittaker in the first round of their middleweight bout.

Chimaev wasted no time in taking the Australian down, using his limpet-like wrestling to control Whittaker before taking him onto his back and locking on to a facelock that appeared to dislocate his opponent’s jaw, leaving him with a very quick tap forced entry with 1:26 left. the first frame.

Chimaev is now tipped to be the number one contender to fight South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC middleweight world title in early 2025 in what would be a blockbuster bout.