Ilia Topuria (17-0) is 9-0 under the UFC banner and 3-0 in championship title fights.
“El Matador” knocked out Alex Volkanovski to capture the 145-pound belt, then stopped Max Holloway in his first featherweight title defense. Topuria would then vacate the division throne to try his luck at lightweight, where he promptly obliterated Charles Oliveira to secure his second strap.
Holloway gives Topuria props for a job well done, buuuuuut…
“Yeah, he beat the names, and you can’t deny that,” Holloway told CBS Sports. “But then when you look, it just sucks with everything that’s going on when you look at that Volk fight, Volk coming off [a loss to Islam Makhachev]. That’s kind of crazy. But people just look at the name. They’re not looking at the record. They’re just like, ‘Oh, Alex was the champ,’ and then me and then Charles.”
Volkanovski (27-4) and Holloway (26-8) are considered the two greatest featherweights in the history of UFC. In addition, Oliveira (35-11, 1 NC) is a former lightweight champion who holds the company record for most submissions (16), most finishes (20), and most post-fight performance bonuses (20).
“Charles was on a one-fight win streak,” Holloway continued. “At the end of the day, they’re just moments and they’re just names. It is one of the greatest names, for sure, that he beat in history. But the man is doing what he’s supposed to do. The UFC are lining people up for him, and he’s just knocking them down. So, fair play to him.”
Fans on YouTube were disappointed by the “salty” take.
Holloway will continue to work his way back to the title — as a lightweight — when he collides with longtime rival Dustin Poirier atop the UFC 318 pay-per-view (PPV) card this weekend in New Orleans. “Blessed” is already down 0-2 against “The Diamond,” who is expected to retire after his hometown swan song.
To see who else is fighting at UFC 318 click here.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
