Ilia Topuria promised he would knock out Max Holloway, and he fulfilled that pledge with a stunning third-round knockout in the main event of UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
For weeks, the Spaniard boasted that he would be the first fighter to finish Holloway and beckoned for the Hawaiian to meet him in the center of the Octagon for a brawl. Holloway relented, and the two engaged in a high-stakes boxing match where Holloway's volume was matched by Topuria's pressure and power.
It was a nip-and-tuck affair through two rounds as Holloway's jab punctured Topuria's defense.