They call Ilia Topuria “El Matador", but a more fitting nickname is “The Bull" given his concussive power and ability to charge through opponents.
This past Saturday at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, Topuria emphatically knocked out Max Holloway to defend his featherweight title for the first time. In doing so, he became the first fighter to stop the beloved Hawaiian legend via strikes, exactly what Topuria predicted in the lead-up to the fight. He said he would be the first to put Max’s lights out, and he did that, earning the fight game’s universal respect.
After back-to-back knockouts of two of the greatest featherweights in UFC history, Alex Volkanovski and Holloway, Topuria stamped himself as one of the sport’s brightest stars.
Before the knockout, Topuria and Holloway fought on even terms for two rounds. Topuria was landing his powerful hooks, but Holloway made the champion pay a price for his aggression. Holloway consistently popped the jab in Topuria's face, disrupting his timing. Holloway also had success keeping Topuria at range with a bevy of kicks, particularly the oblique one aimed at the lead knee.
Holloway took Topuria’s punches well and wasn’t bothered by the firepower coming his way. That was until the third round, when Topuria landed a picture-perfect left hook after pivoting off that nailed the unprotected right side of Holloway’s jaw and dropped him. From there, Topuria pounced on the Hawaiian with follow-up punches until the referee intervened.
That’s the thing about Topuria: all it takes is one shot. You could be fighting the perfect fight, but if you leave a tiny opening where your chin is exposed, he has the power and accuracy to connect with it, rendering you unconscious and eviscerating your title hopes simultaneously.
Topuria is now 16-0 overall, 8-0 in UFC since he debuted with the promotion in 2020.
While nothing is confirmed, Topuria’s next title defense will likely be a rematch with Volkanovski, the man he violently dethroned for the title last February. That fight makes sense since Volkanovski was the second-longest featherweight champion behind Jose Aldo. Volkanovski had beaten Holloway for the belt in 2019 and made five defenses before getting stopped by Topuria.
But I am against that fight because Volk hasn’t competed since losing to Topuria. Although his body is well-rested and likely recovered from that brutal knockout, we don’t know that for sure because he hasn’t beaten anyone since. Even if Volk deserves an immediate rematch as a legend in the division, I would rather see him win a fight or two to get his mojo back before getting back in there with a dangerous, skilled champion like Topuria.
That is why I would prefer to see Topuria face a new challenger like Diego Lopes, who proved his worth as a contender at UFC 306 with an impressive beatdown of Brian Ortega. Lopes has very impressive striking, and it would be a thrill to watch a firefight on the feet between him and Topuria.
Regardless of which challenger Topuria faces next, they will face a monumental obstacle in their path to UFC gold. Topuria has dynamite in his hands, and his confidence in his power makes him even more dangerous. Plus, he is a high-level grappler with half of his career wins coming via submission. Topuria is a threat no matter where the fight goes, and it will take a special fighter and a flawless performance to dethrone him.
But until then, enjoy the reign of El Matador because it has officially begun.
Great performance, I wouldn’t be upset with a lopes volk fight in Sydney for the title shot. Volk deserves to call it either way imo