Ilia Topuria eyes title fight against Max Holloway after UFC 298 challenge: ‘It’s going to happen’
Set to headline UFC 298 in February in his first featherweight title fight challenge against the incumbent, Alexander Volkanovski, German-born striking talent, Ilia Topuria is already targeting a title fight defense against former champion, Max Holloway – claiming a showdown against the Hawaiin is “going to happen” in the future.
Topuria, the current number five ranked featherweight contender, is slated to take main event honors at UFC 298 in Anaheim, California in February of next year, taking on undisputed champion, Volkanovski in the New South Wales native’s return to the featherweight limit.
As for Holloway, the former undisputed featherweight champion is riding a two-fight winning run, most recently landing a third round KO win over veteran former title challenger, Chan Sung Jung back in August in the main event of UFC Singapore, following a prior decision win over Arnold Allen earlier this year.
Ilia Topuria expects Max Holloway fight next year
And linked with a symbolic BMF championship fight against former interim lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje in his return to the Octagon – clamouring for a spot on a UFC 300 card in April of next year, Holloway is firmly on the radar of Topuria, who claims he will fight the former after winning gold against Volkanovski at UFC 298.
“That’s what I think is going to happen that I’m going to beat ‘Volk’ (Alexander Volkanovski) on February 17. and then I’m going to fight Max Holloway here in Spain,” Ilia Topuria told the OverDogs Podcast. “That’s my goal right now, and I think it’s going to happen.”
In his most recent Octagon walk, Topuria landed a dominant unanimous decision win over former interim title challenger, Josh Emmett in the main event of a UFC Fight Night Jacksonville card back in June as both earned post-event Fight of the Night honors.
Who wins in a future title fight: Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway?
