Winning the belt is one thing, defending it is another.
Ilia Topuria reinforced his undisputed claim, defeating No. 2 contender Max Holloway by technical knockout at 1:34 of the third round to complete his first featherweight title defense at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
“El Matador” was clinical with his punches, beating Holloway at his own game by putting him on the canvas with a big left hook on the ground and punching him, forcing referee Marc Goddard to call him out.
This was Topuria's first title defense since winning the belt from Alexander Volkanovski on February 17, 2024 at UFC 298. The 27-year-old now has an unblemished record of 16-0 in professional MMA.
More to come.
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