Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway did a heated virtual face-to-face interview ahead of their highly anticipated featherweight championship main event of UFC 308 later this month.
UFC play-by-play announced Brendan Fitzgerald served as the mediator for the two headliners for the Oct. 26 pay-per-view card in Abu Dhabi. Topuria captured the title with a sensational knockout of longtime champ Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February. “El Matador predicts a similar fate for Holloway.
“You will be lights out for the first time,” Topuria told Holloway via ESPN MMA. “Trust me. You’ll become an instant fan. An instant fan you will become.
“And you already know how it feels when you have to bounce back. You already have seven professional defeats. I have zero. So you’re going to do it once again, really well. I don’t have any doubts about that. You are a great example of that.”
Holloway spent a lot of time laughing at Topuria’s confidence, and as the current BMF champion following his knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April, “Blessed” had his own promise for Topuria.
“I took a lot of people’s donuts, bro,” Holloway responded. “I hope you like churros, because you’re about to get one Oct. 26, buddy.”
Topuria’s overwhelming confidence heading into his fight with Volkanovski became one of the biggest storylines for UFC 298. The undefeated steamroller delivered on his promise of stopping Volkanovski and bringing UFC gold back to Spain.
The confidence hasn’t wavered for Topuria, as he called Holloway “old,” and plans to put Holloway in the same place he put his previous opponent.
“I already opened a home for old people,” Topuria said. “Volk already has his room, I have another one for you. So I’m going to put you right there after Oct. 26.”
One thing Topuria said that got Holloway’s attention was that the former featherweight champ was “forced” to take the fight with him. Holloway took exception to that, telling Topuria he was the first name he brought up to the UFC brass.
“You were the first guy I asked for,” Holloway said. “I wanted the easiest fight. I want Ilia Topuria. That’s what I said.”
Topuria and Holloway are ready to go for their blockbuster battle for featherweight gold. The current champion doubled down on his promise to stop Holloway, and hopes that the BMF champ shows up in Abu Dhabi.
“Oct. 26, the only thing I’m going to do is take your lights out, and then party with all my people, with all of my team,” Topuria said. “That’s what I’m going to do. And still. … I don’t have any doubts that I will be the first to knock you out, and I don’t even want you to trust in that, because if you’re starting to trust in what I’m saying, you’re not going to show up. And I need you to show up [for] the fight.”
“I’ll show up, bro, I show up every single time,” Holloway said. “You’ve been a fan for a long time, I show up every single damn time.”