Ilia Topuria has reached one other degree of tremendous stardom following his spiteful third-round knockout over Max Holloway at UFC 308 final Saturday.
The 27-year-old had already established himself because the UFC’s fourth-ranked pound-for-pound star, however has now gone above and past to additional improve his embellished legacy.
And so, in opposition to seasoned operator Max Holloway, his scintillating surge continued as he retained his featherweight strap in emphatic style, halting proceedings with a devastating left hand.
Within the wake of his spectacular victory, the MMA world has largely come collectively to have a good time the exceptional expertise of Ilia Topuria, with UFC legend Daniel Cormier insisting that he’s 2024’s Fighter of the Year.
Sean O’Malley compares Ilia Topuria to Alex Pereira and requires Islam Makhachev showdown
Topuria has now overwhelmed two of the all-time best UFC featherweights, together with his victory over Holloway following an equally damaging show in opposition to MMA legend Alexander Volkanovski earlier this yr.
All through each fights, the Spaniard showcased his elite boxing prowess, using his educated footwork and explosive energy to supply two awe-inspiring finishes.
His efficiency in opposition to Holloway, although, is what has finally captured the creativeness of former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley.
Throughout his dwell response to the main-event conflict in Abu Dhabu, ‘Suga’ made the apt comparability between Topuria and lightweight heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
The pair are, in spite of everything, two formidable strikers, and proceed to reign supreme over their respective divisions.
“Who, at 145 [lbs], needs to combat Ilia proper now?,” O’Malley stated throughout a watch-along on his YouTube channel.
“Ilia’s simply so harmful the entire combat. He’s a like slightly f***ing Alex Pereira. You possibly can’t inform me Islam vs f***ing Ilia isn’t a combat you’ll need to see.”
Might Ilia Topuria tackle UFC light-weight champion Islam Makhachev subsequent?
Whereas a rematch between Topuria and Volkanovski has been closely mooted, a number of members of the MMA fraternity have joined O’Malley in clamoring for a conflict between Islam Makhachev and the featherweight king.
UFC light-weight champion Makhachev boasts two wins over Volkanovski and comes off a fifth-round submission in opposition to Dustin Poirier.
And even their widespread opponent, Volkanovski, attests that Topuria carries the facility to knock the Russian out.
But nonetheless, it could seem that Topuria has his sights set on ruling the featherweight division for a short time longer, earlier than stepping as much as 155 lbs in pursuit of the potential mega combat.
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