Ilia Topuria's Championship Era Started In Earnest As He Emphatically Defended His Title At UFC 308
A star was born in Abu Dhabi.
Ilia Topuria couldn’t have more loudly turned the page on an era of the featherweight division as he knocked out Max Holloway — yes, the Hawaiian’s legendary chin was indeed cracked — to defend his title for the first time. It was a stunning moment to layer on top of his eye-popping knockout of Alexander Volkanovski to earn the belt, and the win also set up a rematch with the Australian.
Topuria could very well be on the precipice of superstardom, but he has challenges old and new ahead.