UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria has been calling out Max Holloway for a fight, demanding that Holloway put his “BMF” title on the line, to which Holloway responded that he is willing to do so to shut Topuria up.
Max Holloway, the UFC featherweight champ, recently had a Kendrick Lamar moment. He was responding to Ilia Topuria, who was playing Drake in this scenario. The 32-year-old Hawaiian has been hearing his name a lot from Topuria lately. The latter has been setting conditions for a potential fight between them.
Topuria’s demands? Holloway’s “BMF” title needs to be on the line. If not, Topuria’s moving on to the next contender.
On Wednesday, Topuria took to Twitter. He clarified he never declined a rematch with ex-featherweight king, Alexander Volkanovski. But, he’s definitely interested in a fight with Holloway.
Topuria kept it simple. “Do you want to fight? If yes, there’s nothing more to discuss. Bring my belt and your pillow,” he tweeted.
Holloway, usually a man of few words, had a fiery response. He’s not one to trash talk potential UFC opponents. But, he made an exception for Topuria.
“Bro, you’re the one making this hard. Ennnnooouuggghhhh already,” Holloway tweeted. He added, “I’ll ‘bring your belt.’ The bitching motherf*cker. All you are doing is putting words together now. You’re spiraling.”
Holloway is eager for the fight against Topuria. This comes after his historic knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. Despite his newfound lightweight status after that win, Holloway wants to return to 145 pounds. He wants to reclaim the title he held for nearly three years.
Topuria, on the other hand, has been bouncing between opponents. This started after his stunning knockout win over Volkanovski in February. Initially, it seemed he would rematch Volkanovski, considering the Australian’s long reign as champion. This reign included multiple wins over Holloway.
But that fight didn’t happen. Especially after it seemed the UFC wasn’t planning to go to Topuria’s home country, Spain, in 2024. So, he switched his attention to Holloway.
The proposal for that fight came with a demand. Holloway’s “BMF” title had to be up for grabs. If not, Topuria would look for a different opportunity.
But, judging by Holloway’s latest response, he’s ready to put his belt on the line. He wants to shut Topuria up once and for all. Maybe now they can get down to business and book the fight for later this year.