Ilia Topuria’s Claims of UFC ‘Forcing’ Max Holloway Denied by Dana White
Dana White denies Ilia Topuria's claims of UFC 'forcing' a fight with Max Holloway, stirring controversy in the UFC community.
![Dana White, and Ilia Topuria Getty](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-07/1545824372_untitled-design-2024-07-30t120317-647.jpg)
Dana White has denied Ilia Topuria’s claims that of UFC ‘forcing’ Max Holloway. Holloway, who is the UFC BMF champion, had a barnburner of a fight at UFC 300. Going up against Justin Gaethje, Holloway secured his victory with a striking masterclass well before the bout ended.
However, in the last few minutes of the fight, the exchange between the two athletes lit up the entire arena. Holloway pointed towards the center of the octagon and invited Gaethje to box. After a session of deadly blows thrown by both men, Holloway landed a thundering punch to Gaethje’s chin, knocking him out cold.
On the contrary, Ilia Topuria has his own story to tell. Going up against the Featherweight king of the UFC, Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria shocked the entire world with a KO victory. And while these two killer fighters are expected to battle it out, Topuria’s claims of Holloway being ‘forced’ do not seem to have sat well with Dana White.
Dana White gives a one-line reply to Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria will be defending his featherweight title for the first time against Max Holloway. However, building up to the fight, both fighters had significant back-and-forth on social media to hype up the bout. Continuing the thread, Topuria recently claimed that the UFC has ‘forced’ the BMF champion to accept the fight.
Debunking the claims, UFC head honcho Dana White replied to the Spaniard with one line: “I don’t think you ever have to force Max Holloway to fight.” While the fight is expected to be a massive hit among the fans, speculation about the venue remains a concern. Initially, it was thought that the UFC would be booking the fight at The Sphere.
Unfortunately, when Dana White announced the full fight card for The Sphere, the names of Topuria and Holloway seemed to be missing. Adding to the fans’ sentiments, Max Holloway too, let his disappointment known about the venue.
Max Holloway wanted to be a part of The Sphere card
The Sphere is expected to be one of the biggest events of the UFC. Fascinated by the visual marvel, Dana White has spent millions of dollars to make the event official. Expressing his interest to feature at The Sphere, Max Holloway recently voiced his opinions in a Kick stream. Holloway stated that since it’s Mexican Independence Day, Dana White should have included Holloway in the card.
Well, Holloway might feel left out, but he too, will get his shot at glory soon. Meanwhile, The Sphere will be headlined by Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. O’Malley will be looking to retain his title while Dvalishvili would like to get a taste of the UFC gold for the first time.
ALSO READ: Former Featherweight Champ Backs Max Holloway in Bantamweight Title Showdown Against Ilia Topuria
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