Over the weekend, UFC 308 held in Abu Dhabi and it featured two much-talked about fights that captured the attention of fans around the world: the main event between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway, and the co-main event featuring Khamzat Chimaev against Robert Whittaker.
In the main event, Ilia Topuria successfully defended his featherweight title against former champion Max Holloway. Topuria entered the fight with an undefeated record of 15-0 and was coming off a historic victory over Alexander Volkanovski, ending the latter’s five-year reign. Known for his striking power and grappling skills, Topuria has now crossed Holloway, recognized as one of the best featherweights in UFC history, off his list, and he did so while defending his title.
Holloway, a former champion himself, was riding a three-fight winning streak and sought to reclaim his title after previously losing to Volkanovski three times. The bout presented two of the best of the featherweight division, and it looked too close to call, at some point. But Topuria ultimately retained his title after knocking Holloway out with a flurry of punches less than two minutes into the third round.
The co-main event featured a clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker. Chimaev, who has quickly risen through the ranks with an impressive undefeated record of 13-0, faced Whittaker, a former middleweight champion who is currently number 3 in the middleweight rankings. This matchup was initially scheduled for June but was postponed due to Chimaev’s illness.
The fight ended after it had barely started after Chimaev submitted Whittaker three minutes into the first round, bringing the match to an end. The match ended as quickly as Whittaker’s last fight against Ikram Aliskerov, except then, he was the winner.
Both fights were pivotal not only for the fighters involved but also for their respective divisions. Topuria’s victory over Holloway further established him as the ultimate man to beat in the featherweight category, while Chimaev’s win over Whittaker has set in motion a potential title contention in the middleweight division as Chimaev has now proven himself worthy of a title shot.
