They put weight on the scales and there will be a fight for the title
It’s official: we have a fight. UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will defend his belt for the first time against legendary Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 308, which takes place this Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. After an intense “Fight Week” in the United Arab Emirates, the most challenging moment for the fighters was yet to come: a battle of scale. But Both fighters acted with absolute professionalism. providing the agreed upon 145 pounds (65.8 kg) to confirm the fight.
Ilya Topuria (15-0) was the first to hit the scales: the featherweight monarch was up early, around 9:00 am (7:00 am in Spain), with a serious face, but energetic and confident. Topuria climbed onto the meter, located at the Hilton Hotel on Yas Island, and his entourage (coaches, friends and celebrities, including Omar Montes) supported the UFC champion. There were no problems despite the difficulty of fulfilling all obligations to the media and fans throughout fight week. The first battle is won.
Immediately after this came Max Holloway, clearly affected by a drastic weight cut that has seen them lose over 15kg since the start of training camp. There were no incidents either. The Hawaiian applicant gave the agreed upon £145 and Thus it was confirmed that there would be a confrontation. for the UFC featherweight title.
Unlucky, although predictable, was Diego Lopez, who arrived in Abu Dhabi as a reserve fighter in case any accident happened to Topuria or Holloway. If that were the case, he would have had the opportunity to compete for the belt in the main event, but that didn’t happen, and the Brazilian, who lives in Mexico, will get his payout without ever setting foot in the Octagon at UFC 308.
Topuria comes into the fight to make his first title defense against the former champion, and the victory ensures he establishes himself as a solid champion in the UFC ecosystem. If he achieved this, he would defeat Volkanovski and Holloway in the same year, something no one has managed to do to date.