Tomorrow in the main event of UFC 308, the featherweight title is on the line. The champion Ilia Topuria (15-0) will be looking to remain unbeaten as he takes on former featherweight champion and current BMF title holder Max “Blessed” Holloway (26-7).
Topuria is a pretty big betting favorite entering tomorrow night. Topuria made his octagon debut back in 2020. After five straight wins including becoming the first to defeat Bryce Mitchell, Topuria fought the dangerous Josh Emmett in a main event. He dominated Emmett over five rounds to earn a featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski. Topuria shocked everyone by knocking the P4P King out cold in the second round to claim the featherweight title.
Now, he’ll have to take on the UFC’s BMF. After Holloway lost a third time to Alexander Volkanovski, he responded by defeating Arnold Allen and then knocking out Chan Sung Jung last year. Then, he got the call to fight at UFC 300 against Justin Gaethje at lightweight for the BMF title. Holloway put on a masterclass and knocked out Gaethje in the final round cementing his case for this title shot against Ilia Topuria.
UFC 308 Prediction
Ilia Topuria insists that he is going to be the first person to knock out Max Holloway. It’s hard not to believe Topuria when he says something because everything he says ultimately has come true. That said, I don’t see him knocking out Max Holloway.
However, I do think his speed and power will be an issue for Holloway. Holloway had no issues with Justin Gaethje, but Gaethje is not as fast or as technical as Ilia Topuria. We saw how Holloway struggled with the speed of Alexander Volkanovski and Topuria is going to bring a similar look.
The one thing I’m going to be watching for at UFC 308 is the cardio of Ilia Topuria. Max Holloway is not going to stop fighting and he’s not going to stop adding pressure on Topuria. While Topuria looked great in five rounds against Josh Emmett, this is another environment. I’m sure he’ll be fine, but if he fades, that’s where Holloway can really take advantage.
I like Ilia Topuria in the matchup. I’ve gone back-and-forth, but I just think the speed and power will be too much. I don’t see a knockout, but I think he retains.
Prediction: Ilia Topuria by Decision