After months of anticipation and words exchanged, fight week has arrived for Waianae’s Max Holloway and Spain’s Ilia Topuria.
The two will meet for the UFC’s featherweight title in the main event of UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, which begins at 8 a.m. HST on Saturday on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
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Holloway electrified the sporting world when he knocked out Justin Gaethje in the final second of the BMF title fight at UFC 300. Since then, all eyes have been on Holloway and his next move.
The Waianae native is set to mound 10 pounds down at 145 in an effort to reclaim his featherweight belt, a title he held from Dec. 10, 2016 to Dec. 14, 2019 a run that included three successful title defenses.
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Between then and Saturday, Holloway lost three featherweight title fights to Alexander Volkanovski. Following the final loss on July 2, 2022, many believed Holloway’s time as a featherweight was done. But since then, Holloway has gone 3-0 while Volkanovski has gone 1-3, his latest bout a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in February.
“I stressed after that run just to be undeniable,” Holloway told KHON2 sports director Rob DeMello recently. “Was going to beat whoever was in our way to prove a point. I had a point to prove. You know, a lot of people said not only I shouldn’t be in the weight class, some people are saying I should retire. And I thought it was funny. You know, it sucks, I guess, of being in the UFC since I was 20 because everybody thinks I’m like 45 years old right now, but I’m only 32, you know? And it’s just a reminder I get to go there, remind these guys who I am and the new fans.
“I’m not supposed to be here already, and it’s already proved a lot of people wrong. And if people love being proved wrong, then I’m just going to keep doing it.”
Even before Topruia and Holloway booked the bout in August, Topuria has been consistently aggressive towards Holloway on social media, but it has yet to faze Holloway.
“It makes no difference,” Holloway said. “I might feel I might not feel as bad as hitting a guy now, but it’s a fight.”
Holloway, who has been in the UFC since he was 20 years old, hopes to show he’s a long way from being done on Saturday.
“Show the world who I am. It’s going to be nice hearing two times. It’s going to be nice getting a new win, a real undisputed title,” Holloway said.
“I’ve been in the UFC for so long that I was a baby. These guys got to watch me grow up. … I’m still only 32. So at the end of the day, I just can’t wait to go out there and just prove what we already know that to be the best, you got to be the best and the best blessed.”