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Ilia Topuria Claims He Will 'Point To The Ground' And Knockout Max Holloway At UFC 308: 'I Recommend Him To Use A Helmet'
Ilia Topuria says he is going to point to the ground and knockout Max Holloway in his upcoming bout at UFC 308.
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria predicted that he would knockout his opponent Max Holloway at UFC 308. Also known as Blessed, Holloway is famous for standing in the pocket and swinging for the fences until he puts his opponent to sleep. El Matador believes in his own ability to diminish this maneuver in the octagon.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Ilia Topuria shared his thoughts on the matter. El Matador laughed at fans and critics who predicted his opponent would capture the featherweight belt. He also touched on Max Holloway’s infamous ‘point to the ground’ gesture where he stands in the pocket and throws haymakers.
“If he’s gonna bring the same energy he brings in the last 10 seconds of every round, when he does this [points to the ground] I’m gonna knock him out in the first round,” said Ilia Topuria. It seems like the Georgian-Spanish champion is not a big fan of Max Holloway’s signature style, as he predicted to diminish it at the beginning of the fight.
“The moment he’s gonna stop in the middle and exchange punches with me, I recommend him to use a helmet because he’s gonna need it,” said El Matador. The UFC featherweight champion is particularly known for his phenomenal boxing skills and the devastating power he carries in his punches. Judging by his statements, the fighter predicted to prove himself to all the doubters at UFC 308.
Ilia Topuria does not believe Holloway will execute his aforementioned signature move. However, if he does so, El Matador is now trained to counter it. “Maybe I’m gonna point to the ground,” said the featherweight champion. He plans on giving the Hawaiian fighter a taste of his own medicine.
The Georgian-Spanish champion, however, complimented Max Holloway. Topuria said that he believes the latter to be a good person, but revealed that he is better than him in every aspect. Ilia further claimed that he has observed every fight of his upcoming opponent and predicted that he will be the first fighter in the UFC to knock him out cold.
UFC 300 encountered a spectacular performance from Max Holloway against Justin Gathje. Blessed won via a fifth-round knockout in the final minute of the fight. This moment immediately went viral and became one of the best finishes in the history of MMA. Since then, the Hawaiian contender has been the undisputed BMF champion.
In the interview, Ilia Topuria claimed that the BMF belt is not on the line. The Georgian-Spanish contender said that he is focused on defending his featherweight championship belt and claimed he does not care about anything else on the line.
Since emerging victorious against Alexander Volkanovski, Ilia Topuria is the new featherweight champion. The knockout at UFC 298 is one of the highlights of El Matador’s career, as he put the Australian fighter to sleep in the second round.
According to betting odds, it appears like Ilia Topuria is a favorite to win this fight. The champion’s display of resilient boxing skills and elite striking has shown fans to bet on the Georgian-Spanish contender. The last time Max Holloway was predicted to lose, Blessed proved fans wrong and became the BMF champion.
Do you think Max Holloway has the ability to win against Ilia Topuria?
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