2024 will be labelled as a year where Eras in sports came to an end. We have seen so many retirements this year across various sports and disciplines, that it’s hard to keep a count on them. But in the UFC, Eras come to an end much before an Athlete hangs up his gloves. That’s the harsh truth of this highly intense sport. But while some eras end, others are born from the ashes of those who are dead. And while we might have seen the Holloway Era end last night, the Era of Ilia Topuria has only just begun.
Max Holloway was the best boxer in the UFC. He no longer is. The way Ilia Topuria decimated him all the while taking the damage like a Champ showed that the current Champ is levels above the current Holloway. We saw something similar earlier this year from ‘El Matador’ as he sent Alexander Volkanovski, perhaps the greatest Featherweight that UFC has seen, to a deep slumber. One thing is clear, this is Ilia Topuria’s world and we are just living in it.
Not only did he successfully manage to defend his UFC Featherweight Championship. But he did so while giving a traumatic memory of Max Holloway lying down out cold to UFC fans all over the world. The fight was pretty evenly poised up till the start of the 3rd Round. But Topuria put on the after-burners and hit Max Holloway flush on the face with a strong right hand. It was this shot that made Holloway lose his sense of balance.
The right overhand was followed by Topuria putting pressure on ‘Blessed’. The one shot that sealed the fight for ‘El Matador’ was the strong left hook that saw Holloway tumble down like Jenga blocks. Ilia ‘El Matador’ Topuria became the first fighter to have knocked out or TKO’d Max Holloway. Mind you, the Hawaiian fighter has been inside the octagon thrice against Alexander Volkanovski, twice against Dustin Poirier & Jose Aldo, and once against Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje. Yet, he had never been knocked out until he went up against Ilia Topuria.
UFC 308, taking place in Abu Dhabi told fighting fans two things. Firstly, this is as far as the Max Holloway journey continues. And Secondly, Ilia Topuria has just hit the expressway, and the Spaniard ain’t stopping anytime soon.
