Morning Report: Ilya Topria calls Max Holloway's UFC 300 win 'nothing special' and says 'he's a really easy fight'

After Max Holloway's performance at UFC 300, there was no one more deserving of the BMF title. But current UFC featherweight champion Ilya Topria doesn't expect that to lead to success for the “Blessed” Hawaiian.

After his buzzer-beater KO of Justin Gaethje in the 5th round for the BMF Title last weekend, Holloway feels like he's truly back to champion status, so we've got to mentally separate Holloway from “normal” champion status. It's really weird that it doesn't have to be. This is the first time the “gimmick” belt has felt like a legitimate championship, an insult to Gaethje's stunning second-round head kick victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 last July. It's not a thing. Holloway simply moved on to the next level in a different weight class and steadily worked his way up, scoring absurd instant classic wins over the top three contenders in his weight class. The fight we all really wanted met and perhaps even exceeded expectations.

The world may want to see a run from the “Blessed” lightweight, but as he said in the post-fight scrum, this man has options. He defeated a debatable top contender, making it a logical fight for the title at 155 pounds. Instead, divisional champion Islam Makhachev had his next title defense announced against Poirier at UFC 302 in June, before Holloway took the stage for his post-fight talk. So he's mulling taking back the title he first held, the 145-pound gold strap currently held by Topria.

“I'm really happy because I just saw Holloway win. I just realized that I'm going to have two belts instead of one,” Topuria told ESPN Deportes' Carlos Contreras Legaspi. “We'll see. Nothing concrete, but with a win in the octagon he could very well be next. We don't know if he's injured or not. I hope that doesn't happen so he can come back soon and we can play.”

Holloway, 32, did not indicate he was seriously injured after winning the BMF title, but said he would serve a 30-day medical suspension, which is standard post-fight protocol. UFC CEO Dana White was also concerned about the condition of Holloway's leg after receiving multiple kicks from Gaethje, saying he couldn't believe he could walk.

The 27-year-old Topuria became champion with a second-round knockout win over longtime division kingpin Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February. Topria has never lost in MMA, so this is his 15th consecutive win. Volkanovski's only successor in the featherweight division is El Matador. Coincidentally, Volkanovksi is the only fighter at 145 pounds since 2013 that Holloway failed to raise his hand in three attempts.

That knockout and final 10 seconds with Gaethje will live on forever for Holloway and for fight fans around the world. The scene was electric and chaotic, but it didn't leave any impression on Topria.

“Well, it was good. Nothing special to be honest,” Topria said. “At the end it was just an exchange of punches without any strategy. Both guys just throwing punches. Zero defense, emphatically, something like that can happen, but I'm inside the Octagon. So I'm thinking, that's never going to happen.

“[Holloway] We talked a lot all week. That's normal. That's what he has to do. He needs to believe he is the best. There is no other way in this sport. But the results are clear. Made in 9 minutes [to Volkanosvki] What I couldn't do in 90 minutes. That means he can say whatever he wants, enjoy the moment, and prepare for what's to come. he can do whatever he wants. He won't be able to change that. ”

Topria's unwavering confidence led him to the promised land, as predicted long before his title fight with Volkanovski became official. We've seen the European fighter's MMA career evolve dramatically since his 2020 arrival in the UFC. A powerful grappler, Topuria quickly became known for his ferocious striking and knockout power. Because of that, people tend to forget that he has grappling chops that support his incredible stand-up game.

A matchup between Topuria and Holloway is as exciting as anything that could happen after UFC 300. In the end, you'd have to think it's entirely up to what the new BMF champion wants to do. Because White said there was no title. It’s not going anywhere,” leaving the Hawaiians with defensive options.

If Topuria can make his first defense against Holloway, the champion hopes it's something like the rest of his career.

“He's a really easy fight like always,” Topria said. “I know people are going to come at me for saying this. This is what I think. I don't see anything special. He's basic. Too basic. That. I can see it.

“He doesn't know what to do when he's under pressure, and he can't walk backwards. It's good for everyone when you have time to think. When you can move forward, when you're allowed to do what you want to do. Everyone is good there, but they can think, they can counter, they can attack, they can close angles, they can throw power punches, they can be accurate, they can wrestle, they can bring opponents to the ground, they have an unyielding mentality. It's great when you have an undefeated player. … Things get very complicated.”

Next. Ilya Topuria threatened to send Max Holloway to the finish line, and Holloway complied.

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Do the Bronx. Charles Oliveira laments not being able to defeat Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300, vows to 'come back stronger'

It was cut out. Jamahal Hill releases first statement after KO loss at UFC 300: 'I got caught'

$$$. UFC 300 Post-Fight Bonus: Max Holloway Earns $600,000 Bonus for Legendary Knockout

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UFC 300 Post Show.

On to the next one.

UFC 300 post-fight scrum.

Legendary.

Recent Hall of Fame inductee.

Conorson.

All-out battle.

300 Adesanya.

Company travel.

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Islam Makhachev (25-1) vs. Dustin Poirier (30-8, 1 NC); UFC 302, June 1st

Sean Strickland (28-6) vs. paulo costa (14-3); UFC 302, June 1st

conor mcgregor (22-6) vs. michael chandler (23-8); UFC 303, June 29th

Topria's demeanor feels like a stark contrast to any type of opponent Holloway has faced since… Conor McGregor? Even back then, Conor didn't have many bad things to say about Holloway, and if he did, it wasn't anywhere near the scale he quickly reached after that win. Topria immediately makes this matchup even more interesting both inside and outside of the Octagon.

thank you for reading!

Last week's results:

Friday: When asked, “Will the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight officially take place at UFC 300?”, 64% of the 306 votes cast answered “yes.” McGregor vs. Chandler was officially confirmed for UFC 303 at the UFC 300 post-fight press conference on June 29th.

Thursday: When asked, “Is UFC 300 the best MMA event of all time?”, 56% of the 361 votes cast answered “no”.

Wednesday: When asked, “Who will win this weekend?”, 73% of the 368 votes cast answered “Charles Oliveira.” Arman Tsarukyan defeated Oliveira by split decision at UFC 300.

Tuesday: When asked, “Who will win this weekend?”, 72% of the 411 votes cast answered “Alex Pereira”. Pereira defeated Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC 300 by knockout (punch) at 3:14 of the first round.

Monday: When asked, “Who will win this weekend?”, 72% of the 253 votes cast answered “Justin Gaethje.” At UFC 300, Max Holloway defeated Gaethje by knockout (punch) at 4:59 of the fifth round.

Today's exit poll:

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