ABU DHABI: Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria vowed to become the first man to knock out Max Holloway.
He made good on his promise at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Using a huge right hand to daze Holloway, Topuria (16-0) followed up moments later with a powerful left hook that dropped the 32-year-old. Topuria pounced on Holloway immediately for a ground-and-pound finish before referee Mark Goddard stopped the bout at the 1:34 mark of the third round.
“To beat a legend like Max Holloway, I don’t know what to say,” Topuria said. “He’s been a great example for the generation. ... I hope I’m gonna be a small example he has been for me for the new generation.”
Topuria said he knew immediately with his initial power punch that the victory was within his grasp.
“I catch him with ... the right hand, I felt it,” Topuria said. “I saw it in his face. You don’t see that often in Max Holloway.”
Topuria opened the match with Holloway’s traditional gesture of pointing to the center of the ring, indicating he wanted to throw down with immediacy. Holloway, instead, pointed to where he was standing.
The two mixed it up in the first round, Topuria doing early damage with leg kicks to Holloway’s lead leg. Both fighters’ boxing skills were on display in the second round, with Holloway landing several big shots. But it was Topuria’s leg kicks that seemingly continued to weaken Holloway.
Then came his two big punches in the third.
“He just landed a shot and I guess it hurt much more than I thought it did,” said Holloway, who fell to 26-8. “I felt great until he did it. No excuses. I felt great, I had a great camp, no injuries. I went out there, did my thing. He was just a better man tonight.”
It was Topuria’s first title defense since capturing the belt with a second-round technical knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 on Feb. 17.
Topuria’s back-to-back victories over Holloway and Volkanovski make a case for Fighter of the Year.
Volkanovski was in attendance Saturday, and Topuria said he would honor him with a rematch.
“You deserve that, you’re the man,” Topuria told Volkanovski, who entered the octagon after the match.
In the co-main event, No. 13 Khamzat Chimaev (14-0) stopped No. 3 Robert Whitaker (27-8) with a first-round submission just 3:34 into the fight, after taking him down and administering a wicked face crank.
“I’m going for the belt!” Chimaev exclaimed after his dominating win.
“I love you brother, you’re a legend,” the Russian told Whitaker during his post-fight interview.
Additionally from the main card:
Top-ranked light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev defeated No. 5 Aleksandar Rakic by unanimous decision after three rounds.
In an action-packed three-round featherweight match, Lerone Murphy beat Dan Ige by unanimous decision.
Shara Magomedov (15-0-0) defeated Armen Petrosyan (9-4-0) by TKO at the 4:52 mark of the second round of their middleweight bout.
Ilia Topuria makes good on his promise, becomes first man to stop Max Holloway at UFC 308
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Ilia Topuria makes good on his promise, becomes first man to stop Max Holloway at UFC 308
- Using a huge right hand to daze Holloway, Topuria (16-0) followed up moments later with a powerful left hook that dropped the 32-year-old
- It was Topuria’s first title defense since capturing the belt with a second-round technical knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298
Ravaglia heroics lead Bologna to Italian Super Cup final in Riyadh
- Despite falling behind early, Bologna equalized in the 34th minute before prevailing on penalties
RIYADH: It was a night of shared football culture in Riyadh as Inter Milan and Bologna met in the second 2025/26 Italian Super Cup semi-final. The travelling Inter support brought their drums, colour and constant noise, blending with Saudi Inter fans to create a lively atmosphere inside the stadium.
The match began at a blistering pace, with Inter taking the lead less than two minutes after kick-off. Marcus Thuram powered home from close range after meeting an accurate cross from Alessandro Bastoni to score the opening goal of the night.
Inter immediately searched for a second, with Ange-Yoan Bonny going close in the fourth minute, feinting past Torbjorn Heggem before dragging his effort just wide of the post.
After Inter’s early barrage, Bologna began to grow into the contest, with Jens Odgaard leading much of the offence. Goalkeeper Josep Martinez was called into action to preserve Inter’s advantage.
The energy among Inter supporters continued to build, with fans jumping in unison and lifting their scarves as they urged their side forward in search of a second goal.
That momentum was checked in the 34th minute, when a VAR review resulted in a penalty for Bologna. Riccardo Orsolini slotted the spot-kick coolly past Martinez to bring I Rossoblu back level.
Inter pushed forward after the break as the game opened up, but there was no getting past Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia, who made four saves in the second half alone.
Hope briefly returned for the Nerazzurri when Bonny was brought down in the box in the 56th minute, only for the initial appeal for a penalty to be overturned following consultation with VAR.
Less than 10 minutes later, the stadium rose to welcome Lautaro Martinez. Brought on alongside Andy Diouf and Davide Frattesi in a triple substitution, Lautaro made an immediate impact but was unable to find the decisive goal before the end of regular time.
Bologna came within moments of snatching a winner in injury time, but goalkeeper Martinez reacted sharply to make a crucial save, sending the semi-final into a penalty shootout.
The shootout began evenly, with both sides converting their penalties before goalkeepers intervened at either end. Nicolo Barella then fired over the crossbar, only for Juan Miranda to mirror the miss moments later.
Inter’s struggles from the spot continued as Ravaglia made his second save of the shootout, before Jonathan Rowe gave Bologna the advantage. Stefan de Vrij converted to extend the contest, but Ciro Immobile struck decisively to send Bologna through.
The Rossoblu will now face Napoli in the Italian Super Cup final at Al-Awwal Park on December 22, after the Serie A champions defeated AC Milan 2-0 in the first semi-final.
