Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
UFC 308: Ilia Topuria beats Max Holloway with KO win
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Ilia Topuria successfully defended his featherweight title Saturday afternoon in Abu Dhabi with a third-round TKO (1:34) against Max Holloway in the UFC 308 main event.

After two closely contested rounds, Topuria (16-0 MMA) landed a flurry of punches, including a left hook, to finish Holloway (26-8 MMA), who had earned a title shot with a fifth-round KO against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April.

Topuria became the first fighter to KO Holloway, who has competed for the UFC for 12 years.

"All the praise to Max Holloway," Topuria said.

Topuria said he doesn't care who he fights next, whether it's former champion Alexander Volkanovski or Diego Lopes.

However, Topuria praised Volkanovski for his extensive featherweight title spree.

"If anyone deserves it, (the rematch), it's him," Topuria said.

Holloway was classy in defeat, reassuring his return to the division.

The co-main event saw Khamzat Chimaev make short work of former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, leading to a first-round face crank to extend his unbeaten run to 14.

Chimaev became the first middleweight to submit Whittaker, who entered the fight as the division's No. 1 contender. Chimaev clarified his intentions: he should be next for champion Dricus du Plessis.

"Dana (White), what's wrong with the UFC, man?" Chimaev said, calling out UFC's CEO during his post-fight interview. "Give me my belt."

Per the broadcast, Whittaker suffered a dislocated jaw during the submission's securement. It was Whittaker's first loss in over a year, ending his title shot bid for now. The Australian native held the belt from July 2017 to October 2019, defending it once.

The featured fight saw Magomed Ankalaev maintain his No. 1 light heavyweight ranking with an underwhelming unanimous decision against fifth-ranked Aleksandar Rakic. The victory was Ankalaev's 11th straight, setting up a potential title shot with champion Alex Pereira.

Ankalaev had one message for Pereira, who has defended his title three times this year.

"Alex (Pereira), stop running away from me," Ankalaev said after the win.

Rakic has lost three straight fights.

Featherweights Dan Ige and Lerone Murphy made their case for a "Fight of the Night" bonus, which saw Murphy win by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Ige secured a takedown and dropped Murphy in the closing seconds of the first round. Round 2 saw the opposite, with Murphy finding a takedown and triangle choke attempt. Ige out-landed Murphy in significant strikes 31-14, while Murphy retained the favor with a 21-11 clip in Round 2.

After several grappling exchanges, Round 3 saw Murphy control the top position before Ige reversed him. Both men briefly returned to their feet before Murphy found Ige's back with 67 seconds left. Murphy's exhaustion set in, leading to both men returning to their feet. Strikes followed to close the fight.

Murphy remains undefeated at 15-0-1, while Ige has dropped three out of his last four fights dating back to September 2023.

The main card opened with a double spinning back fist knockout from Sharabutdin Magomedov, who defeated Armen Petrosyan 4:52 into the second round of their middleweight bout. Magomedov extended his unbeaten record to 15-0 (4-0 UFC). Meanwhile, Petrosyan fell to 9-4, losing two in a row and three out of his last five outings.

The UFC's schedule turns the page next Saturday to Edmonton for a Fight Night card, kicking off the month of November with four events in five weeks.

This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

TODAY'S BEST

Steelers reporter shares big claim about how Aaron Rodgers has looked in training camp
NFL

Steelers reporter shares big claim about how Aaron Rodgers has looked in training camp

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent the bulk of the spring as an unsigned free agent and, thus, only began officially practicing with Pittsburgh Steelers teammates during the team's three-day mandatory minicamp in June. During a Monday appearance on Pittsburgh radio station 102.5 WDVE, Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette addressed how Rodgers looked during his first few training camp practices with the club. "His release is just astonishing to watch," Dulac said about Rodgers, as shared by Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. "Everybody knows about it, and when you see it in person, you see it every day in practice, you just marvel at it. To me, he's the greatest thrower of the football I have ever seen, even at 41 (years old). That flick of that wrist and that ball comes out, it's moving and it is something to see." Rodgers was with the New York Jets when he suffered a torn Achilles four offensive snaps into the 2023 regular-season opener. He was then slowed by a nagging hip issue, injuries to both his knees, a low ankle sprain and a serious hamstring problem as the 2024 Jets went 5-12. According to Pro Football Reference, Rodgers finished last season ranked 28th in the NFL among qualified players with a 48.0 adjusted QBR and 26th with a 43.9 percent passing success rate. That said, he was also eighth with 3,897 passing yards and tied for seventh with 28 passing touchdowns. Rodgers and Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson endured some struggles during training camp sessions last summer before the two allegedly "never saw eye-to-eye" during the season. It sounds like Pittsburgh fans should be encouraged by how Rodgers performed in recent practices. "That guy can get rid of the ball as quick as anybody," Dulac added. "He made three throws in seven-on-seven (drills) the other day that the cumulative total I bet couldn't have exceeded 2.1 seconds. And two of those were for touchdowns." Rodgers wants to finish his career "the right way" and help the Steelers notch at least their first playoff win since January 2017. As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Pittsburgh at -150 betting odds to miss the playoffs for the upcoming season.

NBA Fans Send Love To Steph Curry After Heartbreaking News
NBA

NBA Fans Send Love To Steph Curry After Heartbreaking News

On Monday, Steph Curry's grandmother (Candy Adams) passed away. His mother (Sonya) made the announcement (via Instagram). She wrote: "Heaven gained an angel, and we lost our heart. Today we say goodbye to our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. A woman who taught us to love fiercely, laugh often, and keep family at the center of everything. Her love lives on in every hug we give, every story we tell, and every lesson she left us with. As Luther said, “A house is not a home when there’s no one there to hold you tight.” You were our home and now your love lives in all of us. Rest easy now, we’ll carry you with us, always. ❤️ I love you Mommy" @49ers_Throwback: " for Curry family." @warriorstalk: "Sending out our condolences and prayers " @WarriorsMuse: "May she rest in peace Prayers go out to Steph, Sonya, and the rest of the Adams/Curry family " @Simpli_Wundaful: "My Condolences to the entire family" @CarolNetti49500: "Your Grandmother is Beautiful RIP sweet lady." @Kit10star: "O steph. Sorry to hear ur grandma left this world. Heavens gain I am sure. Much l8ve" @Corebreezy_: "May her soul rest in peace, sending my prayers to the curry family️" @KDawnSeven: "Prayers up and sincerest condolences to Steph and his family " Curry (who is 37) is coming off another All-Star season for the Golden State Warriors. Next year will be his 17th in the NBA.

Titans waive former first-round pick after latest injury
NFL

Titans waive former first-round pick after latest injury

Treylon Burks‘ tenure in Tennessee is on track to come to an end. In the wake of his latest injury, the former first-rounder has been waived. This move has come with an injury designation, which comes as no surprise given the broken collarbone Burks recently suffered in training camp. Injuries have plagued the 25-year-old throughout his brief NFL tenure, which began when Tennessee selected him with the No. 18 pick in the 2022 draft. That selection was acquired by dealing A.J. Brown to the Eagles. Given the link between the two wideouts created by the trade, Burks’ evaluations have always been measured against Brown’s Philadelphia success. During each of his three seasons with the Eagles so far, Brown has earned a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro acclaim; the 28-year-old was also a key figure in the team’s Super Bowl success in 2025. Burks, by contrast, entered this summer on Tennessee’s roster bubble. The Arkansas product managed a career-best 444 yards as a rookie while being limited to 11 games. Optimism was high that, with better luck on the health front, he could round out his game and develop into a regular on offense with the Titans. Staying on the field has proven to be an issue, however — Burks missed six games again in 2023 and an ACL tear limited him to five contests last season — and when available he has not managed to meet expectations. The collarbone injury accelerated the timing for what could have been a decision to move on from the Titans closer to the start of the regular season. Tennessee’s receiver depth chart will once again be headlined by Calvin Ridley this season. Veteran Tyler Lockett was added in free agency, as was Van Jefferson. The Titans used the draft to add a pair of Day 3 prospects at the position (Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor), and they will look to handle backup roles during their rookie seasons. Tennessee entered Monday with nearly $30M in cap space, so finances will not be an issue if one of the veterans still on the market is targeted in the wake of this move. Burks is now headed to waivers, with all teams free to claim him. Provided he goes unclaimed, he will revert to injured reserve. Situations such as these often result in a release being worked out along with an injury settlement. If that proves to be the case for Burks, his Titans stint will end on an unwanted but unsurprising note.

Chicago Blackhawks at Risk of Losing First Round Pick as Other Teams Pitch Big-Money Offers
NHL

Chicago Blackhawks at Risk of Losing First Round Pick as Other Teams Pitch Big-Money Offers

Mason West is a talented prospect of the future for the Chicago Blackhawks, but it appears he may look to leave hockey for big opportunities in football. The Chicago Blackhawks landed Anton Frondell with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but it was perhaps their second first-round pick that drew the most intrigue, as they drafted centre Mason West out of the USHL. That pick was intriguing for many reasons, with the 6-foot-6 centre having potential with his talent and his physicality, but now, the team may be in danger of losing the talented 17-year old. According to a report from The Athletic, the No. 29 overall pick has been drawing interest from several NCAA programs to join their team as a football player. Standing at 6-foot-6, the Minnesota native is a star in both hockey and football, tallying 49 points in 31 games at the high school level while also being a star Quarterback, and after putting up 9 points in 10 USHL games with the Fargo Force, the future is bright for him in both sports. Ultimately, at 17-years of age, the future is very bright whichever way West ends up going, but given that the Blackhawks used a first-round pick on him in this past seasons draft, they're clearly confident that they can not only keep him in hockey, but make a good NHLer out of him moving forward.