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Ilia Topuria recently detailed the only potential challenge he believes Max Holloway presents in their upcoming bout at UFC 308. 'El Matador' is set to put his UFC featherweight title on the line against Max Holloway on Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Ahead of the fight, Topuria has been boldly claiming that he'll knock out 'Blessed' early in the contest. However, he's fully aware of the potential dangers Holloway brings, particularly in the striking department.
During a recent interview with SHAK MMA, Topuria said that he anticipates Holloway will rely on his strong distance management and avoid engaging in close-quarter exchanges with him:
"I think he'll try to maintain distance the whole time. I think he's going to try to move around the octagon constantly to avoid staying in the pocket with me. These are the kinds of things I'm expecting from him."
'El Matador' further added that Holloway’s only perceived path to victory is dragging the bout to the distance in hopes of wearing him down. However, the undefeated Spaniard confidently asserted that his cardio is superior, and he can easily go the distance if needed:
"The only chance he thinks he has is maybe to go into the third, fourth, or fifth round, make me feel tired, and then put pressure on me. But that's never going to happen. I have oxygen not just for five rounds—I can be there for 10 or 15 rounds. The thing is, he can't."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (4:30):
Ilia Topuria warns Max Holloway about the threat of his underutilized ground game
Ilia Topuria has confidently declared his intention to point to the ground and invite Max Holloway to a stand-and-bang exchange in the center of the octagon within the first 10 seconds. However, he recently warned 'Blessed' that he is equally dangerous with his rarely seen grappling skills and ground game.
During a recent interview, 'El Matador' said that he easily can take down Holloway and submit him whenever he desires:
"If I don't knock him out beforehand, I don't think he's going to be able to stop my submissions. Trust me, I'm very, very good on the ground. I think I'm better on the ground than in striking. The thing is that people have never seen my ground game because I didn't need it in my UFC career."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (7:19):
