We’re just one day away from the UFC’s latest event in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and the card is stacked. Read below as we preview the main event as the reigning featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, defends against the perennial contender, Max Holloway.
In the co-main event, we have what is potentially a number one contender fight for the middleweight belt as Robert Whittaker takes on Khamzat Chimaev. Two huge fights that are both too close to call.
Main Event: Ilia Topuria (C) vs. Max Holloway
Featherweight title fight
After an upset KO victory over Alexander Volkanovski back in February, Ilia Topuria defends his belt for the first time against Max Holloway at UFC 298. The Georgian has become a huge star since he won the featherweight strap and was even paraded in front of the home crowd at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of the soccer giants, Real Madrid.
Topuria has teased all week that he is willing to stand in the center of the octagon, point to the ground and ‘throw down’ with Max Holloway, and a very brave move if he does. We were all reminded (not as if we needed to be) of Max Holloway’s impeccable striking skills at UFC 300 as despite being way up on all three judges’ scorecards, he risked it all to stand and trade with the heavy hitter that is Justin Gaethje. Both a risky and unnecessary move, it worked out in Holloway’s favour as he delivered one of the most memorable knockouts in UFC history, winning the BMF title in the process.
Ilia Topuria goes into his first title defence unbeaten in MMA (15-0, 7-0 in UFC) and the tests don’t come much tougher than against a man who will break the record of the longest period between two title reigns should he reclaim the belt against Topuria.
So what can we expect from the fight? Well, that’s a good question. Holloway will no doubt prefer to keep the fight standing and it seems as though that’s what we’ll get. Both men are durable and have experience of going the full, five-round distance. The bookmakers have Topuria as the favorite in this one and it’s not a huge surprise given how comfortable his win over the long-reigning champion (Alexander Volkanovski) was. Holloway, known for his impeccable striking, has taken a more cautious approach in recent fights. He’s allowed his opponents to pressure and has succeeded when coming to picking his shots. The self proclaimed ‘best boxer in the UFC’ has twenty-five minutes to showcase his skills and he may follow a similar approach to the Gaethje fight, given he had so much success.
It’s more difficult to see how Topuria will approach this one. After all, it’s only his eighth UFC fight and he has approached fights differently in the past, depending on who is opposite him inside the octagon. He wrestled heavily against Bryce Mitchell and Against Volkanovski, he was happy to stay on the feet. His pacing has changed throughout his fights as well, so as Max Holloway keeps on saying this week ‘we’ll find out on Saturday night.’
Co-Main Event -Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev
Despite still being unbeaten (13-0), it’s fair to say that Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC career has been a tale of two halves. He announced his arrival into the organization on 16th July 2020, defeating John Phillips in the second round on ‘Fight Island’ by submitting him with a brabo choke. He would fight again just ten days later, this time winning in the first round against Rhys McKee. It was the quickest turnaround between UFC bouts in the modern era.
After fighting four times in a little over his first year, he has been much less active recently as he has struggled with health complications resulting from the coronavirus. It’s been a year since his last fight, a decision win over Kamaru Usman, and his opponent at UFC 308, Robert Whittaker, is the former champion.
Expect Khamzat to try and take the fight to the ground. Whittaker, known for his striking prowess, will be looking to avoid any takedown attempts and try to keep the fight standing – ‘The Reaper’ has ten knockout victories and stopped Ikram Aliskerov in the first round last time out. Whittaker has only lost to current or former middleweight champions in the last decade, and a victory over Chimaev will put him right back in the title picture.
Robert Whittaker goes into this fight as the clear underdog, which is surprising given his experience and the fact that he looked back to his best in June against Aliskerov. Khamzat Chimaev has been a lot less active in recent times, so it’s difficult to predict a winner in this fight. With it being a five-rounder, smart thinking would suggest that Chimaev would have the advantage early on, but with question marks over his cardio following his long bouts of illness, Whittaker may gain the upper hand the longer this fight goes on.
Other Main Card Fights
Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige (Featherweight)
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Raikic (Light Heavyweight)
Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan (Middleweight)
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