Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley observed as Ilia Topuria, a potential future opponent he has discussed fighting, continued his impressive undefeated streak over the weekend.
Topuria headlined UFC 308’s pay-per-view event eight months after winning the featherweight title in Anaheim. After defeating Alexander Volkanovski, “El Matador” achieved another victory in Abu Dhabi.
This time, fan favorite Max Holloway was on the receiving end of a brutal finish. “Blessed,” the holder of the symbolic BMF title, was knocked out for the first time in his career with a vicious left hook in the third round.
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, O’Malley shared his reaction to the main event at the Etihad Arena, where Topuria continued to impress on the big stage of mixed martial arts.
“God, Ilia’s a f*cking finisher, huh? He’ll jump on you,” said O’Malley. “Ilia is so dangerous until the last bell… Ilia landed a beautiful left hook… This is an exciting time. Great time to be alive, great time to be a UFC fan.”
“Ilia just hurt Max badly… Ilia lands a bomb. Max is still stunned. Oh! Left hook! Ilia finishes Max Holloway with a left hook in round three. Holy sh*t, Ilia is that guy,” O’Malley continued. “Who at 145 wants to fight Ilia right now? Ilia is just so dangerous the whole fight. He’s like a little f*cking Alex Pereira. You can’t tell me Islam (Makhachev) vs. Ilia isn’t a fight you’d want to see.”
Previously, discussions of a super fight involving Topuria revolved around O’Malley potentially moving up to 145 pounds to challenge “El Matador.” However, O’Malley lost his bantamweight title last month, altering those plans.
It seems Topuria is now considering a champ-champ pursuit, engaging in exchanges with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev recently.
For now, the Spaniard will likely need to solidify his grasp on the 145-pound crown by securing a second win over Volkanovski in the UFC.
Read More: Islam Makhachev’s Coach Breaks Down Potential Ilia Topuria Superfight After UFC 308
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