If Ilia Topuria is going to take some time off, Diego Lopes wants Alexander Volkanovski next.

This past Saturday, Topuria authored one of the most impressive wins of the year, knocking out Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 308. It was the first-time the iron-chinned Holloway has ever been knocked out, which even impressed Lopes, who was sitting cageside for the event.

“It was a good knockout,” Lopes told Ariel Helwani. “It was really impressive, but it was even more shocking just to see Max on the floor. It had never happened. I was really shocked by that…

“Max did a good job keeping the distance in the [beginning] of the fight, but I told my brother during the fight, if Ilia got in there he could have the chance to knock him out…

“Going into the fight I thought that Max was going to win. I never thought that Ilia would knock him out.”

Lopes served as the backup fighter for UFC 308 but his services were not needed as both Topuria and Holloway made weight for their featherweight title fight. And while sometimes being a backup fighter means you’re next in line for the title shot, that doesn’t appear to be the case for Lopes.

Following his Topuria’s big win, the UFC brought former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski into the cage for a faceoff, seemingly setting up a rematch between the two. That could leave Lopes waiting in the wings again.

All hope isn’t lost for Lopes though. For one, Topuria seems interested in taking some time off instead of making a quick turnaround to defend his title again, and for another, UFC CEO Dana White has already suggested the promotion wants to bring him to Spain for a debut event. If that means a prolonged hiatus to figure out, Lopes has the perfect plan.

“We were never promised a title shot going into this,” Lopes said. “We just agreed to be the backup but we will for sure try to find our way to that title shot…

“Ilia mentioned on Saturday night that he wanted to take some time off. Also, UFC mentioned they’re working on a date for Spain. While this is all going on, it would make the most sense for me to just fight ‘Volk’ in Sydney for the interim title. ‘Volk’ has already suggested this. I’ve already agreed to it. Let’s just do it.”

The UFC heads back to Sydney on Feb. 9 for UFC 312, and it would make sense for Volkanovski to be on the card. Moreover, the former featherweight champion has already shown some willingness for this scenario, depending on how long Topuria will be out. However, Volkanovski may ultimately choose to wait for his title shot, and if he does, then Lopes may wait as well — unless the UFC comes to him with a particularly good offer.

“Obviously, we feel that the fight with Volkanovski makes the most sense for us,” Lopes said. “It gets us on the title shot track, but if UFC wants to give us another offer in Mexico City, we have to talk as a team with the management and see what the options are here.

“I’m not really interested in fighting anybody but Volkanovksi. It makes the most sense. If the UFC says we have to wait around for a title shot, then we’ll wait. If we fight for the interim [title] or Volkanovski, that’s a conversation we’ll have to have with management.”

Ultimately, it may be quite a while before Lopes gets his crack at Topuria and the featherweight title, but when he does, he believes the fight will be worth the wait for fans.

“We know watching Ilia’s fights that he’s very forward [moving] and likes to create pressure,” Lopes said. “I also like to create pressure and we both have very heavy hands. It would be a really good fight and any one of us could drop at any moment because of that.”

TOP STORIES

Plea. Jon Jones reached an agreement to have charges dismissed in assault case.

FOTY. Matt Brown believes Ilia Topuria locked up Fighter of the Year for 2024.

185. Chael Sonnen revealed what Sean Strickland said to him after Khamzat Chimaev’s impressive win at UFC 308.

Shorts. Brandon Moreno got custom fight shorts for UFC Edmonton this weekend.

Retired. Carla Esparza didn’t like the decision, but insists she’s done with fighting.

Mailbag. Answering reader questions including how long can Ilia Topuria reign at featherweight?

VIDEO STEW

Carla Esparza.

The bogeyman of the UFC.

Brandon Moreno and Amir Albizi got a feature from ESPN.

Some free fights.

And Carlos Condit highlights.

FLAVOR IN YOUR EAR

Fighter vs. Writer

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Statement.

Paulo Costa with harsh words.

Class for days.

Training.

Surgery.

Samesies.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mauricio Ruffy (10-1) vs. James Llontop (14-4); UFC 309, Nov. 16.

Sergei Pavlovich (18-3) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (15-5); UFC Saudi Arabia, Feb. 1.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Some people won’t like it, but I think Volk vs. Lopes is the right idea. Let Topuria take some time off and get a venue in Spain for the summer where he fights the winner. Plus, Volk really should get a win before stepping back in there and getting clobbered again.

EXIT POLL

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Facebook.

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Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Ilia Topuria would like to see a larger reward for his incredible UFC 308 knockout win over Max Holloway (watch here).

It’s a historic win. Not only did Topuria become the first man to crack the legendary chin of the former champion, but in doing so, he stopped two of the best Featherweights ever back-to-back in violent fashion. It’s up for debate whether it’s the best pair of consecutive wins in MMA history, but it’s certainly high on the list!

Naturally, Topuria was one of three “Performance of the Night” bonus winners. That additional check typically earns the recipient an additional $ 50k, but especially big nights and spectacular wins have seen larger bonus. Holloway himself, for example, scored an extra $ 300k for knocking out Justin Gaethje back at UFC 300 … and then another $ 300k for “Fight of the Night” too! Topuria was similarly hoping for some extra scratch after living up to the hype, and he was disappointed in the immediate UFC 308 aftermath.

“I knock out Max Holloway and Dana only give me 50k,” Topuria said shortly after his knockout win. “I hope he’s going to give me a little bit more. I hope so. I’m putting my hope in Dana.”

Sometimes, fighters receive discretionary bonuses that aren’t announced to the public. These “locker room bonuses” are shrouded in mystery and secrecy, so it’s hard to say exactly how often they’re handed out or how much they’re worth. Likely, if any win is worthy, Topuria’s UFC 308 KO certainly qualifies.

In the interim, at least Topuria has a really dope mansion to hang out in and wait for any checks to clear.

Insomnia

There’s nothing like watching a legitimately world-class wrestler do his thing.

So many stories like this come out about fighters — it’s a miracle nothing worse has happened after a UFC fight.

Speaking of injuries and miracles … it’s unbelievable that Oralbai’s orbital isn’t broken.

I’m really curious to see the final numbers on how many tune into Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul. I have a feeling it’s going to be massive, for better or worse.

An interim Featherweight title would be ridiculous, but I don’t blame Diego Lopes for shooting his shot.

Brandon Moreno joins the dope shorts club!

Karate Combat is definitely a better fit for Robelis Despaigne.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

I think I was just convinced that 12-6 elbows should be illegal again.

Ringside camera makes every shot seem more brutal.

Chris Camozzi has been in the combat sports game for a long time.

Random Land

Sometimes I think about the loss of marine life and get sad. Then, I order a poke bowl and continue to be part of the problem.

Midnight Music: Hip-hop, 1998

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Jon Jones reached a pre-adjudication agreement to dismiss the charges in his case involving a drug-testing agent who filed assault charges against the UFC heavyweight champion back in March.

On Tuesday, Judge Asra Elliott approved an agreement between the arresting officer and Jones that as long as he avoids any trouble for the next 90 days, and undergoes four hours of anger management that the two pending misdemeanor charges against him will be dismissed.

Jones appeared at the hearing via Zoom alongside his attorney Christopher Dodd.

The judge approved the agreement with Jones’ attorney agreeing to appear after 90 days to confirm his clearance from all charges.

“As long as Mr. Jones is compliant for the next 90 days, then I can dismiss this case,” Elliott said.

The two charges — assault, a petty misdemeanor, and interference with communications, a misdemeanor — were handed down after Jones allegedly got into an altercation with drug testing agents who arrived at his home to retrieve a urine sample under the UFC’s anti-doping program.

After arriving, an agent identified as Crystal Martinez claimed Jones “appeared agitated” after he was unable to provide a urine sample and was offered the opportunity for a blood test instead. Martinez claimed Jones then began asking them questions including “if they had money” because he was going to sue them. She also claimed that Jones allegedly grabbed her phone and “started recording them.”

Martinez told police she was “terrified” with Jones standing less than a foot away from her during the alleged incident and she was “afraid Jones might hit her” after she contemplated terminating the drug test and leaving his property.

Jones vehemently denied the allegations.

Now so long as Jones avoids any other issues with law enforcement over the next 90 days, the two misdemeanor charges will be dismissed to bring the entire ordeal to a close.

Following the hearing, Jones issued a statement addressing the resolution in his case.

“I would like to extend my thanks to the justice system for reaching a prompt resolution in this matter, which affirms my innocence and enables me to maintain my focus on the upcoming fight,” Jones wrote. “I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to defend my heavyweight title on November 16th at Madison Square Garden.”

As Jones referenced, he is now just over two weeks away from his return to action as he prepares to face Stipe Miocic in the UFC 309 main event at Madison Square Garden in New York. The fight serves as Jones’ first defense of the heavyweight title after he dispatched Ciryl Gane inside the first round back in March 2023.

Jones was slated to face Miocic this past November but he suffered a torn pectoral muscle that kept him sidelined for several months. Now, he’ll return for the fight against Miocic on Nov. 16.

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The UFC has parted ways with seven athletes, including heavyweight Robelis Despaigne and top-ranked flyweight Matheus Nicolau.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Fighting that the UFC has also cut ties with Jessica Penne, Tamires Vidal, Vinicius Salvador, Charalampos Grigoriou and Jesse Butler.

Twitter user Roster Watch first reported the news.

Despaigne (5-2) joined the UFC after scoring four straight first-round knockouts, the last three in 19 seconds combined, and shocked Josh Parisian with an 18-second finish in his promotional debut. The 36-year-old kickboxer disappointed in his his following bouts, losing decisions to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane.

Nicolau (19-5-1) is still ranked among the 10 best flyweights in the UFC’s official list despite losing his past three to Brandon Royval, Alex Perez, and most recently to Asu Almabayev. The Brazilian 125-pounder holds wins over the likes of Manel Kape and Matt Schnell.

Penne (14-8) once challenged Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the UFC strawweight championship, losing via third-round stoppage. The 41-year-old veteran leaves the company with an octagon record of 3-6.

Butler (12-6) has success in the regional scene but came up short since joining the UFC in 2023, going winless against Jim Miller and Brad Katona. Vidal (7-4) completed her UFC deal with a 1-3 record, stopped twice in her most recent appearances versus Melissa Gatto and Joselyne Edwards.

Salvador (14-7) lost in all three occasions in the UFC, including a first-round knockout to Adrian Yanez this past May. Grigoriou (8-5) was let go following back-to-back defeats to Chad Anheliger and Toshiomi Kazama in 2024.

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Confident
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