Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway – UFC 308 RECAP: Fight reaction as champion KNOCKS OUT legend for the first time ever

What a night of fighting from Abu Dhabi.

With another emphatic victory under his belt, Ilia Topuria has cemented his status as the greatest fighter in the world at 145lbs.

Meanwhile, you have to imagine the top fighters at middleweight will have well and truly been put on notice after Khamzat Chimaev produced a faultless performance against the toughest opponent of his career.

It will be fascinating to see where both men go from here, but that is all from us here at Mail Sport tonight.

It has been my pleasure guiding you through what has been an eventful UFC 308 and I hope to see you here again soon!

In his last two fights Ilia Topuria has defeated two of the four men debated as the greatest featherweight in the history of mixed martial arts.

The other two remain in the UFC.

But while Jose Aldo now plies his trade at 135lbs and is unlikely to get a shot at gold following his defeat earlier this month, Conor McGregor certainly seems interested in taking on the current king of his former division.

It’s the bromance that has been blossoming all week as longtime Madridista Topuria reunites with four-time Champions League winner Sergio Ramos inside the Octagon.

Ramos was the first person Topuria ran to after exiting the Octagon and the pair shared a moment inside the cage together.

Even Real taking a drubbing in El Clasico this evening won’t be enough to dampen their spirits!

Max Holloway, speaking post-fight

We got ready for everything. I felt great, bro. I felt great till I didn’t. You know, that’s his spot, man, hats off to him. No excuses. I felt great. I had a great camp, no injuries. I went out here I did my thing. He was just a better man tonight.

The exchanges are starting to get progressively more wild here and that seems to favour the champion.

Topuria lands a great shot and immediately presses his advantage and he has Holloway hurt.

Another flurry from the champion and Holloway is out!

For the first time in his UFC career the iron jaw of Max Holloway has been pushed beyond its limit.

Topuria rushes out of the Octagon to celebrate with Sergio Ramos but the question on my mind remains, is there anyone that can hang with Topruia?

Back-to-back wins over two of the consensus best fighters ever to compete at 145lbs.

Holloway is having success in these early boxing exchanges but he has to remain vigilant for Topuria’s power on the counter.

A stinging leg kick followed by a right hand lands for Topuria.

Holloway’s chin will be tested here as they start to exchange punches in close.

The atmopshere is hotting up as both fighters look to create an opening in what has so far been a really evenly matched contest.

Better round for the champion but still very close.

Mail Sport scorecard: Ilia Topuria 10 (19)-(19) 9 Max Holloway

As Bruce Buffer so reliably reminds us, it is time.

No glove touch from Max Holloway as we get some gesturing from both fighters at the opening bell.

The height difference is really evident here as we start round one but that didn’t stop Topuria against Jai Herbert…

The champion shoots an early takedown and gets it but Max does well to get back to his feet against the cage.

Nice low kick from Topuria makes Holloway stumble briefly but Holloway responds with a kick of his own.

Holloway is growing in confidence at the end of round one and looks for the spinning back kick but Topuria manages to to scramble into another takedown.

Mail Sport scorecard: Ilia Topuria 9-10 Max Holloway

Well tonight has gone by in a flash and our main event is shortly upon us.

Ilia Topuria has enjoyed an incredible rise to the top of the featherweight division and been rarely tested en route to becoming the first Spanish champion in UFC history.

This division has been presided over by some of the greatest fighters in the history of MMA, and one of those men is here tonight ready to try and climb back to the top of the mountain at 145lbs after five years away from the summit.

Max Holloway is already an all-time great, but can he add another accolade to his extensive legacy tonight?

Atmosphere is electric inside the Etihad Arena with celebrities like Chris Eubank Jr and Sergio Ramos sitting cage side to watch Whittaker tap out against Chimaev after getting his jaw dislocated. Next up, we have the main event between Ilia Topuria and Mac Holloway. It’s seems Holloway is the fan favourite here tonight!

Take notes Ankalaev: that is how you send a statement to your division.

Khamzat Chimaev was utterly dominant from the very first second against a fighter who has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to negate the grappling skills of credentialed wrestlers.

We’re hearing reports that Whittaker suffered a dislocated jaw from the sheer force of the Russian’s squeeze.

When Chimaev gets his hands on someone the result always seems to be the same.

Undefeated across 14 fights, who can stop this man?

Khamzat Chimaev rarely wastes time to get his hands on his opponent from the opening bell and he immediately shoots for a takedown here and latches onto Whittakers back.

Whittaker looks to get his back against the cage and start to work away from his opponent but Chimaev is just so suffocating once he has his hands locked together.

This is not where the Australian will have wanted to be just 90 seconds into this fight.

Whittaker momentarily manages to get an inch of separation but Chimaev reasserts a dominant position within seconds of space being created.

Chimaev gets the choke and finishes the fight in the first round.

We’re finally here folks.

This fight was initially scheduled to take place 126 days ago and fans have been anxiously waiting for Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev to meet inside the Octagon ever since.

For those who have never seen Chimaev compete, he is one of the most dominant wrestlers ever seen in MMA but has finishing instincts that make him must-see TV.

Whittaker meanwhile is one of the best fighters ever to emerge from Australia, a former middleweight champion that has fought some of the biggest names the 185lbs weight class has to offer.

What will happen when these two face off? Who knows.

All three judges have it exactly as we did and Magomedov Ankalaev has yet another victory inside the Octagon.

A strong audition for a Pereira fight however, it was not.

The Russian was passed over in favour of Khalil Rountree when the UFC were looking to book Poatan last month and the decision paid dividends as they delivered a great fight.

While Ankalaev looked comfortable tonight, it’s hard to imagine many will be crying out for him to get a title shot after a somewhat anti-climactic performance in a clash that he was heavily favoured to win.

Quieter start to this final round but Ankalaev continues to be the busier fighter as he marches forward and looks to set up the his left hand.

Given how much has been talked about Ankalaev’s grappling advantage in a hypothetical clash with Pereira it’s ironic that the first takedown attempt this evening goes to Rakic.

Ankalaev manages to remain on his feet however, and reverses his opponent into the cage.

Rakic is ahead in terms of significant strikes landed but he hasn’t done enough to swing this round and looks set to be on course for a third straight defeat.

Mail Sport scorecard: Magomed Ankalaev 10 (29)-(28) 9 Aleksandar Rakic

Crafty attempt at an upwards elbow from Ankalaev to start round two but Rakic is wise to it and manages to get out of the way.

Ankalaev is starting to find a home for his southpaw straight left hand which could spell disaster for Rakic unless his is able to swing the momentum back in his favour.

The leg kicks are still there for the most part for Rakic but it appears Ankalaev’s striking has given him something to think about when he enters.

Mail Sport scorecard: Magomed Ankalaev 10 (19)-(19) 9 Aleksandar Rakic

Rakic is setting the pace early here as he uses leg kicks to maintain distance and remains firmly on the back foot.

He looks for a huge head kick reminiscent of the one he KO’d Jimi Manuwa with many moons ago but Ankalaev is wise to it and gets his forearm up to block.

Ankalaev is marching forward but Rakic is rarely presenting a stationary target here in the first and has done enough to edge the round in our book.

Mail Sport scorecard: Magomed Ankalaev 9-10 Aleksandar Rakic

All roads lead to Alex Pereira.

The Brazilian has quickly became one of the biggest superstars in the UFC, and this clash will likely determine who Poatan fights next.

But it could have been so different.

Back in 2022 Ankalaev came agonisingly close to winning UFC gold when he faced Jan Blachowicz before the fight was ruled a draw that led to an enraged Dana White booking Jamahal Hill vs Glover Texeira for the vacant belt.

Meanwhile Rakic has lost his last two fights at 205lbs, but has proven to be a handful for some of the best fighters in the division and will be looking to spoil the party tonight.

With a belt that he once held set to be defended in tonight’s main event, Conor McGrgeor has a vested interest in the action at UFC 308.

But that’s not the only reason the Irishman will be keeping a keen eye on how events transpire at UFC 308.

McGregor has bet $500k on both Max Holloway and Robert Whittaker pulling off KO wins this evening.

If they both pull off the upset? McGregor reportedly stands to bank $17million.

Lerone Murphy gets the nod on the judges scorecards with all three ruling in favour of the British fighter.

Ige is a huge name for his resume and Murphy is still undefeated, but at 33-years-old he needs to start making a run for the belt.

Murphy calls out former title challenger Josh Emmett in his post-fight interview.

Murphy certainly appears to be the fresher of the two fighters as we enter the final round.

However, Ige secures an early takedown after a fascinating scramble seews both fighters trade dominant positions on the canvas.

Ige attempts a knee as they return to the feet but Murphy counters with a flurry in the closing seconds.

This one really could go either way.

Mail Sport scorecard: Lerone Murphy 10 (29)-(28) 9 Dan Ige

Murphy has recovered well from being dropped late in the first round but he needs to be cautious of the power of Ige as he wades forward.

The Brit proves oft-repeated assumptions about UK wrestling are untrue as he defends a shot before reversing Ige against the cage before returning back to his preferred distance in the striking range.

Again Murphy gets his opponent against the cage and this time he secures the takedown and begins hunting for a submission.

Ige does well to reverse position but it’s not enough to swing him the round and it looks like it’s all going to come down to the final five minutes.

Mail Sport scorecard: Lerone Murphy 19 (9)-(10) 19 Dan Ige

Ige takes the centre of the Octagon from the opening bell and lands a striff right hand as Murphy retreats towards the cage.

A well-timed shot sees Ige take the fight to the mat but Murphy defends well on the ground and manages to return to his feet.

Murphy is growing in confidence as this round progrsses and lands a right hook into a spinning back kick to the body.

Murphy is able to get back up but Ige is really pushing for a finish here. Frantic end to the round as Murphy secures a takedown of his own as Ige hunts for a kimura.

Mail Sport scorecard: Lerone Murphy 9-10 Dan Ige

If there any doubts about Lerone Murphy’s ability to step up and compete with the best the featherweight divison has to offer, his comprehensive victory over Edson Barboza should have put them to bed.

The 33-year-old from Manchester has never tasted defeat in his MMA career but he faces a huge test if he is to walk away with his perfect record intact this evening.

Dan Ige is the epitomy of toughness and has been in the Octagon with a host of notable names at 145lbs.

Earlier this year he stepped in on less than 24 hours notice to face surging contender Diego Lopes in a losing effort, but remains ranked inside the top 15.

We’ve already seen Sergio Ramos play his part in tonight’s main event, accompanying fellow Spaniard Ilia Topuria during yesterday’s ceremonial weigh-ins.

But the former Real Madrid star isn’t the only illustrious defender to get involved in one of the biggest fights of the year.

Al-Nassr defender Aymeric Laporte has been pictured making his way to his seat as tonight’s marquee matchups draw ever closer.

We mentioned pre-fight that Magomedov’s biggest attribute is the unorthdox striking style that he employs and you really couldn’t get a better demonstration than that finish.

The undefeated Russian first landed a spinning backfist before rotating the other way to land another backfist that ultimately ended the fight.

In 15 years of following MMA I have never seen anything quite like that…

Magomedov proclaims himself the best striker in the division in his post-fight interview and calls out Israel Adesanya.

On that evidence I can’t imagine there would be many people who wouldn’t want to watch those two throw down.

Viral star Hasbulla is in attendance to cheer on his compatriot as we prepare for the second round.

Both fighters appear well aware of the skills their opponent posseses before we have a break in the action as a kick from Petrosyan lands low.

Magomedov appears to have the speed advantage at striking range but Petrosyan is finding his way inside and landing straight punches.

We’re still yet to see the spinning attacks for which Magomedov is so vaunted as we reach the midway point of this three-round fight.

High kick from Magomedov lands flush but again the momentum is slowed as this time Petrosyan is complaining that a kick went low.

Much better round for the underdog.

Just as I write that Magomedov lands a double spinning backfist that sends his opponent crashing to the canvas and the referee waves it off!

Petrosyan instantly looks to close the distance and attacks with leg kicks to stifle Magomedov’s unorthodox striking.

He steps in with a big right hand that has the Russian wobbling but Magomedov does well to regain his composure.

Huge response from Magomedov as he drives forward with a right hand but the accuracy of Petrosyan is causing him problems early here in round one.

Close opening round but Magomedov edges it with his activity.

Mail Sport scorecard: Shara Bullet Magomedov 10-9 Armen Petrosyan

Tonight’s main card opens with one of the most highly-rated prospects in the UFC’s middleweight division.

Shara Bullet Magomedov has made an instant name for himself at 185lbs with his unique style and undefeated record inside the Octagon.

There have been questions surrounding whether he has the grappling to compliment his striking, but if Armen Petrosyan’s Thai boxing walkout music is anything to go by, this one will be contested on the feet.

Not only did Myktybek Orolbai suffer his first UFC defeat this evening, but he was also left with a nasty facial hematoma for his troubles.

The Kyrgyzstani lightweight took on Mateusz Rebecki in what proved to be an instant classic over three hard-fought rounds in tonight’s preliminary portion.

However, the battle scars of 15 minutes of back-and-forth action have certainly left their mark as he suffered major swelling under his right eye.

However, while he didn’t get his hand raised, the 26-year-old has certainly put himself in contention for a post-fight bonus this evening.

If the preliminary card was anything to go by, tonight could be truly special.

We’ve already seen several finishes throughout the night at the Etihad Arena but none quite as peculiar as when former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos’ faced Geoff Neal.

The clash ultimately lasted less than two minutes before a freak injury saw the fight over before it really began.

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And welcome to Mail Sport’s coverage of tonight’s UFC 308 card from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

We have an excellent main card in store, headlined by a pair of must-see matchups.

In the co-main event, Khamzat Chimaev faces the toughest test on his seemingly unstoppable rise to UFC gold as he takes on former middleweight champion and perennial contender Robert Whittaker.

Then, in our main event Ilia Topuria will look to make the first defence of his featherweight title since KO’ing long-reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski to secure the belt back in February.

Standing in his way will be the man widely regarded as one of the best 145lb fighters the sport has ever seen, Max Holloway.

So stick right here as myself, and Charlotte Daly provide all the news and updates for what promises to be one of the most exciting events of the year.