Saturday night, a new superstar was born. Ilia “El Matador” Topuria knocked out the BMF Champion, Max “Blessed” Holloway, in the third round. Topuria has entered rarified air. He has officially entered superstardom.
During Topuria’s first two title fights, he didn’t just beat two all-time greats, Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. He did it in the most unbelievable way. Previously, Holloway competed in 33 fights with seven losses but was never knocked out. Just six months ago, Holloway knocked out Justin Gaethje in one of the most remarkable finishes in UFC history. Topuria one-upped him.
After Alex Pereira knocked out Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 a month ago, it seemed as if the debate for fighter of the year was over. But Topuria continues to do the unthinkable. Yes, Topuria was the -250 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. But it was unimaginable for someone to knock out Holloway. That is what makes Topuria unique. He continues to make the unthinkable a reality.
It is an argument that he has started his title reign better than anyone. Topuria is now 16-0 with 14 finishes while being 8-0 in the UFC. At just 27 years old, Topuria is currently a top-three pound-for-pound fighter in the world. This is only the beginning; Topuria is the future face of the UFC. The UFC doesn’t like to host events in stadiums. But if the UFC goes to Spain in 2025, an event at the Bernabeu would be one of the biggest PPVs ever.
But now that Topuria has defended his title once, who will be next for “El Matador”?
Alexander Volkanovski
This is the only option. Topuria vs. Volkanovski 2 has to be next in 2025. Even though Topuria knocked Volkanovski out in February, that was his first loss at 145 pounds in the UFC. Volkanovski lost two straight fights against Islam Makhachev when he moved up to lightweight.
Topuria has had one of the most incredible starts to a title reign in UFC history. But that doesn’t diminish Volk’s run. Volk was the featherweight champion from 2019 until 2024. He had five successful title defenses, with three victories over Holloway. Volkanovski is a top-three featherweight champion of all time.
Volk has saved the UFC many times and deserves to be rewarded for his efforts. He stepped in for Charles Oliveira, who had to pull out due to injury to face Makhachev on 11 days’ notice. Longevity is tough in this sport, and Volkanovski was one of the most active and longest-reigning champions in a long time.
Topuria vs. Volkanovski 2 will be a massive PPV, and if the champion can have another successful title defense, he will become an even bigger superstar.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is ryanwohl) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
