There’s one downside to the highly anticipated featherweight championship showdown between Ilya Topria and Max Holloway, according to Dana White.
“This Topuria vs. Holloway fight sucks because you like them both and they actually have to go there and someone has to lose,” White recently said. , said on the RGIII podcast Outer Pocket.
“Max Holloway is one of the greatest fighters of all time, one of the greatest fighters of all time, he has the BMF belt, he’s the BMF. Topuria is an absolute rock star. Have a fun fight. It will happen. I hate to see someone lose that battle.”
UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway takes place Saturday at 2pm ET on ESPN+. Order now!
Topria will defend his featherweight title against Holloway in the headliner of UFC 308 on Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Topria is undefeated in 15 professional fights and overcame a second-round stoppage of Alexander Volkanovski to win the featherweight gold medal at UFC 298.
Meanwhile, Holloway has won five of his past six Octagon appearances. Perhaps no performance raised his stock more than his fight with Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. There, he won a memorable 5th round KO and won the BMF belt. That victory came at 155 pounds, but “Blessed” will return to featherweight on Saturday in hopes of reigning in the championship once again.
“The only weight gain that made him look really good was Gaethje…When he was younger, he had a toned physique,” White said. “As he got older, he got better little by little. 100%.
[he looks different] And it’s different from when we fought [Dustin]
Poirier, this is an interesting fight, a very interesting fight.”
