At UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, fan favorites Max Holloway and Robert Whittaker both lost their fights. Ilia Topuria retained the featherweight title by knocking out Holloway in the second round of their match. The crowd in Abu Dhabi was in a frenzy as Topuria celebrated his victory with soccer star Sergio Ramos. Topuria's next match could potentially be against Alexander Volkanovski for a rematch or Diego Lopes, while Holloway's future in fighting remains uncertain.
The Octagon returned to Abu Dhabi for UFC 308, where five fighters received performance bonuses. In the main event, Ilia Topuria secured a thrilling third-round knockout over Max Holloway, becoming the first to do so inside the Octagon. Khamzat Chimaev dominated former champion Robert Whittaker with a first-round submission, earning himself a bonus. Lightweight fighters Myktybek Orolbai and Mateusz Rębecki also received a $50k bonus for their Fight of the Night war. And Shara Magomedov earned a bonus for his second-round knockout victory over Armen Petrosyan in the preliminary card.
In a highly anticipated bout, undefeated fighter Khamzat Chimaev outwrestles and dominates former champion Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC 308. Chimaev secures a tight choke in the first round, forcing Whittaker to tap out in the opening minutes. This win gives Chimaev a strong case for a title shot in the middleweight division.
Rising MMA star Ilia Topuria lived up to his promise by delivering a blistering knockout victory over UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway. With this win, Topuria remained undefeated and cemented his place as one of the most dominant fighters in the sport. In the co-main event, Khamzat Chimaev also made a statement by submitting former UFC champion Robert Whittaker with a brutal face crank in the first round. Both Topuria and Chimaev are now calling for their shot at the UFC title, making for an exciting future in the world of MMA.
Despite Robert Whittaker's stunning first-round KO, Khamzat Chimaev remains undeterred and respectful, congratulating the former champ on his victory while reminding him of their unfinished business. The undefeated fighter also compliments replacement opponent Ikram Aliskerov and acknowledges Whittaker's impressive performance, which was similar to his own when he defeated the Dagestani. Fans can look forward to a potential reschedule of the Chimaev-Whittaker matchup in the near future.
Former middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, delivered a stunning and swift knockout to newcomer Ikram Aliskerov in the main event of UFC on ABC 6. Just under two minutes into the first round, Whittaker landed a powerful uppercut that sent Aliskerov packing, securing his second consecutive victory. Whittaker has now set his sights on serving as a backup for the upcoming middleweight title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.
On Saturday night, Amanda Nunes will defend her Bantamweight title for the fifth consecutive time against mixed martial arts fighter Robert Whittaker at UFC 245. Whittaker has become the first Australian to hold an undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship title. The fight will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker defeated Paulo Costa in a highly-anticipated rematch at UFC 298. After suffering a knockout loss in his previous fight, Whittaker bounced back with a strong performance, overcoming early adversity to secure a unanimous decision victory. Despite the loss, Costa showed a more mature performance and went toe to toe with one of the best in the division. Whittaker is now back in the title mix and has his sights set on a rematch with current champ Dricus Du Plessis.
After almost two years on the sidelines, former title challenger Paulo Costa is finally set to return to the UFC this weekend. Despite questions about his muscular physique and rumors of a potential bodybuilding career, Costa's focus has always been on becoming a UFC world champion. As he prepares to cut 35-pounds for his upcoming fight, fans are eager to see if Costa's time away from the octagon has affected his performance.