Fights to Make After UFC 308
UFC 308 concluded, and many fans are still stunned by Ilia Topuria’s huge knockout win over Max Holloway. Max has never been knocked out before, the fact that Topuria was able to knock him out shows how good Topuria really is. Khamzat Chimaev won big at UFC 308 when he submitted Robert Whittaker in the first round by breaking his jaw in a neck crank! Fans were treated with the disturbing photo of Whittaker’s jaw at the end of the event. With UFC 308 finishing, the matchmakers have to go back and start making fights for these guys, here are some of the fights I think we need to see after UFC 308.
Magomed Ankalaev and Aleksandar Rakić
Magomed Ankalaev defeated Aleksandar Rakić by unanimous decision, Ankalaev looked really good the whole fight. He kept pressing Rakić and when Rakić would throw a strike he did a good job not taking damage. Was it a fun fight? No, however, the fight was important because this was the number one contender fight to see who would face the Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira. With Magomed getting the decision win he will definitely be fighting Alex Pereira in 2025. As for Aleksandar Rakić, he is now 0-3 in his last three fights Aleksandar should now be defending his ranking against Volkan Ozedemir.
Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker
Seeing a legend like Robert Whittaker get submitted in the first round wasn’t easy however it was expected, Khamzat Chimaev right away shot for the takedown and got Whittaker down with ease. Whittaker kept fighting, trying to scramble out the guard of Chimaev, however, every time Whittaker looked like he had a chance to get up Chimaev was just one step ahead. Chimaev soon got the back of Whittaker and started a neck crank, which Whittaker violently tapped to. I was confused at first because I thought Whittaker just gave up. I was dead wrong after finding out Whittaker tapped because his jaw broke. Chimaev was the thirteenth-ranked Middleweight contender now with a win over Whittaker who was ranked three, Chimaev may very well be ready for a title shot. Khamzat should fight the winner of Dricus Du Plessis versus Sean Strickland. As for Whittaker, he is a legend of the sport and he has already cleared out his division although if he wants to keep his spot near the top five in the Middleweight division, he should fight Nassourdine Imavov.
Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway
Ilia Topuria absolutely won big tonight, he defended his title against one of the best Featherweights of all time and became the first person to knock out Max Holloway. At this point Topuria knocked out two former featherweight champions back to back, the reality is the future Hall Of Famers are starting to fade. In the fight between Topuria and Holloway, Topuria seemed like he had a hard time getting in the range of Holloway since Max is taller, Max’s jab started adding up and Topuria started to react badly to each one. At one point Topuria needed to get a takedown to change the pace of the fight and Topuria was able to take Max down with ease. Going into the third round I had the score card 1-1, the punch that started it all was a slip-cross that landed so hard that I heard the impact through my television, Max was instantly hurt and after a few combos, Topuria was able to create an angle and threw a perfectly placed left hook that sent Holloway to the canvas. Topuria is now at a spot where he has two options, his first option is to defend his title against former Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski, which I personally feel like that fight doesn’t need to be made, however, Topuria and Volkanovski both want the fight. Unless Topuria goes with option two, which would be to fight rising star Diego Lopes who is on a tear and proved himself ready for a title shot by dominating Brian Ortega. Personally, I think that fight would make the most sense for Topuria. As for the former Featherweight champion, Max is still the BMF champion at lightweight and with Dustin Poirier looking for a final fight before retiring, Poirier being up 2-0 over Max, and both fighters being allergic to boring fights, I think that’s the best fight for Holloway and Poirier.
