A 13-fight card at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi was headlined by a featherweight title fight between champion Ilia Topuria and former champion Max Holloway. Topuria, Khamzat Chimaev and Magomed Ankalaev emerged as big winners, but what’s next for each fighter? To set the record straight, Andreas Hale, Brett Okamoto and Jeff Wagenheim offer their latest insights on a dramatic night of fighting.

Topuria delivers first-class performance

Ilia Topuria has only made this one defense of his featherweight championship, but he accomplished a lot in Saturday’s UFC 308 main event. First, he did something no fighter had ever done. Then he did something this sport could use a lot more of.

By knocking out Max Holloway, Topuria did what the sport’s premier force, Justin Gaethje, couldn’t 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 delivered a blow that hadn’t happened in the previous 33 fights of Holloway’s career. “Blessed” had never been knocked off his feet before.

Topuria now falls into a category of one. That’s the kind of thing people say about fighters considered the best ever in their weight class. And while it’s premature to label the 27-year-old Spaniard a featherweight GOAT, even if you couple this performance with the knockout of Volkanovski in February that made him a champion, Topuria is moving in that distinguished direction by leaps and bounds.

No less remarkable than the knockout performance, however, was the class Topuria showed in the moments following his victory. He twice spent extended periods of time embracing Holloway and went on to call the former champion “a legend”, saying: “I represent the new generation and I hope I will be a small part of the example he sets for me has been. the new generation.”

Topuria’s kindness continued even as Volkanovski was brought into the cage just as the champion was asked who would get the next title shot. After the men shook hands, the champion said that Volkanovski deserves the most. “He defended his title seven times, I don’t know how many times,” Topuria said. “If anyone deserves it, it’s him.”

None of these kind words diminished the ferocity Topuria brought to his battles with Holloway and Volkanovski. If any of these ex-champions get a rematch, Topuria will throw the leather at them again with full force. He doesn’t have to badmouth anyone. Topuria understands what it means to be a true champion. — Wagenheim

It’s title time for Chimaev

Is there any reason why 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 by a close decision. But that promise deserves to be broken, because what Chimaev did to Robert Whittaker was a terrifying reminder of why many crowned him a future champion just four fights into his 2021 UFC career.

The health concerns should not be ignored as they have prevented Chimaev from injecting himself into the title picture. But what he did to a former world champion who hadn’t been submitted in almost thirteen years didn’t serve as a suggestion; it was a demand.

Strickland beats Paulo Costa via split decision and Chimaev beats the higher-ranked Whittaker and aren’t in the same stratosphere when it comes to which performance deserves a title shot.

Yes, Strickland will certainly be unhappy that Chimaev crossed the line, but this was a one-sided performance against a former champion. Whittaker landed a total of two leg kicks before being sucked into the Chimaev vacuum and forced to wear a “Borz” blanket.

And let’s talk about that finish. It may have looked like Whittaker tapped early when the face stool was sunk. However, Daniel Cormier shared a photo of Whittaker’s crushed jaw during the broadcast, further cementing Chimaev as a force unlike any other in the division.

Chimaev suffered no damage during the fight and said he is ready to fight for the gold. It would be foolish to deny him that opportunity. Sometimes waiting for a title shot makes you see someone shooting ahead of you. It’s the cost of standing still while everyone else is moving. But honestly, isn’t the fight for Strickland a rematch with Israel Adesanya?

What if we do that and let Du Plessis and Chimaev duke it out in early 2025. –Get

How the UFC handles the Ankalaev situation is anyone’s guess

For my money, Magomed Ankalaev should have already been a UFC champion. I really thought he beat Jan Blachowicz when they fought for the vacant title in 2022. The judges ruled this a split draw, as UFC CEO Dana White wasn’t a fan of how it turned out, and Ankalaev was front and center. slowest possible route back to a title since then. The UFC already passed him over for a title fight earlier this year, when a 205-pound title shot went to much lower-ranked Khalil Rountree.

It’s pretty clear that Ankalaev deserves a shot against Alex Pereira, but it’s also clear that he’s not the best player for business. He just isn’t. And right now, the UFC has seen some fights go in a way that isn’t the best for business. Sean O’Malley losing his title isn’t good for business. Jon Jones fights as heavyweight champion once every well over a year, not great. Belal Muhammad, widely known for his tendency to keep opponents at bay, isn’t great either.

The UFC is great because it regularly features fights of the best against the best, but I wonder how they will handle this. A lot could depend on what happens next month in the heavyweight bout between Jones and Stipe Miocic. Who wins that? And who will retire after that? –Okamoto