With three title defenses in just about six months’ time, Alex Pereira appeared destined to win Fighter of the Year in 2024, but now it appears Ilia Topuria may have just staked his own claim to that crown.

On Saturday night at UFC 308, Topuria became the first person to knock out Max Holloway in what served as the first defense of his featherweight title after already demolishing former champion Alexander Volkanovski back in February. UFC legend Matt Brown argues that pair of wins, coupled with the dramatic way that Topuria dispatched arguably two of the greatest featherweights of all-time, has already secured him the year-end award over Pereira or anybody else for that matter.

“Alex didn’t knock out three pound-for-pound greats. Ilia knocked out two pound-for-pound greats,” Brown said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “As great as those guys were that Alex fought, they weren’t Holloway or Volkanovski.

“I don’t think anybody expected anybody on this planet to do what Ilia did. If Max and Volk had fought 170-pounder guys, I don’t think they would expected for both of them to get knocked out. As impressive as Alex was … this is one of those where it’s too bad we can’t have two Fighter of the Year awards, because they both deserve it. You don’t want to take a damn thing away from Alex.”

Pereira added three knockout wins to his resume in 2024 with title defenses against Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree. Champions rarely compete three times in any given calendar year so by that number alone, Pereira had a leg up on any possible competition.

As impressive as that was, Brown says three title defenses from Pereira just can’t measure up to what Topuria did to Volkanovski and Holloway in consecutive fights.

Topuria may have one less win overall in 2024, but his level of competition was unmatched when it came to championship victories.

“I don’t think you can compare to that,” Brown explained. “I’m all on the Ilia train for Fighter of the Year. Again, I wish we could give something to Alex. What he did was remarkable but it wasn’t Max Holloway and Volkanovski. If Alex did that to Jon Jones, we’d be like OK, you go it, buddy. That wasn’t available to him. Alex beat the guys that were available. Ilia beat two of the best legends, career winners in the history of this sport. Knocked them out. Max Holloway does not get knocked out. Nobody knocks out Max Holloway.”

“You’ve got to give it Ilia. That debate’s pretty well settled. I think most people are going to be on that train.”

While he picked Topuria to win on Saturday, Brown admits he was ultra-impressed by the way “El Matador” stuck to his strategy and found a way to dismantle Holloway on the feet. Even he didn’t necessarily expect Topuria to flatten Holloway inside three rounds, but that’s exactly what happened.

“That was what I said leading into this fight — what Ilia’s going to have to do at some point is land that fight changing shot,” Brown said. “I knew he landed the fight-changing shot when he hurt Max. I thought for sure Max was going to come back though. I thought OK, there’s that fight changing shot, it’s really going to be Ilia beating up Max now for the next at least round or two but Max is going to stick around.

“I was just so impressed with how Ilia took his time, placed his shots so well, just some of the best boxing we’ve seen in MMA. The way that he strategizes everything so well, keeps himself in such good position all the time.”

A Fighter of the Year award is certainly a great achievement, but Brown believes that might just be the tip of the iceberg for what Topuria could accomplish during his career.

Topuria has already taken out a pair of all-time greats at featherweight, and it’s tough to see him losing to anybody competing at 145 pounds right now.

“That’s what makes Ilia so special,” Brown said. “He’s such a good boxer but those other little things that funnel you into his boxing, that’s some very high level stuff right there that really gets my blood pumping to watch.

“I think he’s got a lock for Fighter of the Year this year. He’s got a long reign ahead of him. He’s still got a long way to go to be up there with the [Georges St-Pierre’s] and Anderson Silva’s, but he’s right on that path.”

Listen to new episodes of The Fighter vs. The Writer every Tuesday with audio only versions of the podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio

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Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has been one of the biggest success stories in recent years of the sport. The Brit arrived in the promotion with bags of potential but quickly rose up the rankings with many now seeing him as the best heavyweight in the division.

In a recent interview with SafestCasinoSites, Aspinall was asked whether there is someone else on the roster that he points to as a one to watch. A rising prospect who like Aspinall, could continue to prove himself as an elite competitor with each step up in competition.

The interim champion has made it clear on multiple occasions that the heavyweight division is his focus and though he sees it as nearly a different sport to the rest of MMA, Aspinall does like to try and learn things from other fighters in lower weight classes.

This led him to giving the answer of the undefeated bantamweight contender, Payton Talbott, who debuted in the Octagon just under a year ago. In that time, the Contender Series alum has recorded three finishes at 135-pounds.

His destructive display against Cameron Saaiman was incredibly impressive considering how highly people regard both men. Talbott then followed that up with a 19-second knockout against Yanis Ghemmouri at UFC 303.

Aspinall hasn’t done a deep dive on the 26-year old but he likes what he has seen so far.

“It’s difficult to say really. I only keep up with the heavyweights really, keep an eye on the heavyweights because obviously it’s my division. But there’s a guy, I believe he’s a featherweight, maybe a bantamweight called Payton Talbott. I’ve seen him, he looks incredible. I don’t know him personally at all, never met him or anything like that, so I’m not biassed on his side, but I’ve seen him a couple of times in the UFC and he looks like the real deal, relatively untested at this point, he’s only just got into the UFC. I don’t think he’s fought anyone ranked or anything like that, but he looks really good from what I’ve seen. One to watch.”

Continue Reading Tom Aspinall Names Undefeated UFC Bantamweight As His One To Watch at MMA News.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Paddy Pimblett saw Ilia Topuria make history, and he still wants a piece of the UFC featherweight champion.

Topuria not only successfully defended his title in Saturday’s UFC 308 main event, he became the first fighter ever to defeat Max Holloway by knockout. It’s a feat that has vaulted Topuria to the front of the Fighter of the Year and Pound-for-Pound conversation as he improved to 16-0 with no end to his run in sight.

That is unless you’re Pimblett, the talkative lightweight that has had a longstanding feud with “El Matador.” Pimblett posted a reaction video to his YouTube in which he referred to Topuria by a different nickname while also expressing confidence that he could hand the 27-year-old champion his first loss.

“Hand sanitizer boy with the win,” Pimblett said. “Heavy. Well done, Ilia. Give you your due, lad, 16-0, ‘Hand Sanitizer Boy.’ Can’t wait for him to come back up to lightweight. Still think I’d beat him. I really do. I still think I’d beat him, whether he’s just beat Max Holloway or not.”

Though Topuria has fought just twice in 2024, he has now knocked out Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, two of the three best fighters to ever compete at 145 pounds. It’s unlikely he sees Topuria in the cage anytime soon with the champion welcoming a rematch with Volkanovski, a top contender bout between Movsar Evloev and Aljamain Sterling at UFC 309 potentially producing Topuria’s next challenger, plus the outside possibility that Topuria lands a fight with Islam Makhachev or Conor McGregor.

Should Pimblett ever get his hands on Topuria, he expects to extend his own winning streak and add him to his impressive list of submission victories.

“By kicking him on the feet or taking him down and submitting him,” Pimblett said of his strategy for Topuria. “I genuinely think I’d beat him, but congrats, Ilia Topuria. Well done, son.”

TOP STORIES

Review. The MMA Fighting crew give you the full rundown on the most important stories coming out of UFC 308.

No. 1. It’s a three-horse race atop the men’s Pound-for-Pound list, plus Cris Cyborg reminded everyone of her greatness.

Sure. Conor McGregor says “goodbye” to fighting.

Memes. Israel Adesanya responds to Shara Bullet’s callout with a few choice quotes.

Next. Is UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis the man to beat Khamzat Chimaev?

VIDEO STEW

“Mighty Mouse” explains.

Behind Battle of the Giants.

Gilbert Burns plays matchmaker.

Jack Slack.

Free fights.

FLAVOR IN YOUR EAR

Severe MMA. Sean Sheehan and Graeme McDonnell recap UFC 308 and preview Cage Warriors 179 in Rome this Saturday.

MMA ON Point. Got 10 minutes? Check out this quick hit reaction to Topuria’s incredible knockout.

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Almost time.

Happy anniversary.

Any suggestions?

Better luck this weekend.

Eau de Rocky.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Johnny Walker (21-9, 1 NC) vs. Bogdan Guskov (16-3); UFC 311, Jan. 18

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

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m going to be honest, up until I wrote this I completely forgot that the Topuria-Pimblett feud was actually a thing. Seems like something from five years ago, if ever, given Topuria’s rise to prominence.

Doubt we ever actually see it, but stranger things have happened in this crazy business.

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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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Matchmaking
| BJPenn.com

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

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

There are legitimate concerns to be had about the upcoming Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul super fight.

“Iron” Mike is an all-time boxing legend, but he’s also a 58-year-old man who looked washed in the ring two decades ago. There’s a reason Tyson retired from professional competition! His body is worn down, and he already suffered a serious health issue once that derailed the initial summer scheduling. Despite the quick mitts clips and brief sparring footage that circulates social media, it’s difficult to know what kind of shape Tyson will enter the ring in … or how he’ll leave it.

Ahead of their fight, which will air live on Netflix on Nov. 15 from Arlington, Texas, Tyson is leaning into the safety concern angle. In the new trailer for the upcoming Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson series, Tyson makes a shocking statement about just how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of boxing greatness.

“If I win, I’ll be immortal,” Tyson says near the end of the promo (H/T Curtis Calhoun). “I don’t want to die in a hospital bed. I want to die in the ring.”

The first episodes of the Countdown series will release on November 7. Per the description, “Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson captures inside footage from the fighters’ training camps, giving viewers a close-up look at the grit, determination and physical demands of preparing for the can’t miss boxing mega-event.”

Hopefully, it doesn’t also serve as a memorialization.

Insomnia

Is Ilia Topuria’s knockout over Max Holloway an all-time great finish or CIA conspiracy? BJ Penn weighs in:

I hope Mark Hunt drops some creative curse words in his court appearance vs. Zuffa.

Having a previous jaw injury is NOT the best base for MMA.

This is a super fun scramble, but yeah, this is definitely a standard gym wrestling match at the end of practice. No points until top position is secured!

Alright, “Pirate” is a pretty badass and fitting nickname. Shara Magomedov has won me over …

Battle of lanky Featherweight lads:

10 years later … for my money, one of the all-time highest level and most entertaining fights in UFC history. If you became a fight fan after this era, go back and give it a watch!

Slips, rips, and KO clips

There is a direct correlation between logos glued onto skin and violence in the cage.

Eyes to the sky when threatened by a triangle choke …

I cannot not think of Luis Saldana as the guy who jumped on the cage while the fight was still going. Skilled fighter though …

Random Land

Zero gravity wrestling!

Midnight Music: Indie rock, 2006

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

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis kept a watchful eye over his division on Saturday when he witnessed Khamzat Chimaev potentially become the new No. 1 contender at 185 pounds.

Chimaev’s ascension ran parallel to Robert Whittaker’s demise after he saw his championship window potentially close for good when his jaw and teeth were shattered following a nasty submission that ended his night at UFC 308. Both had an impact on du Plessis with Whittaker serving as the person he beat to earn his own title shot while it’s entirely possible that Chimaev now becomes the next challenger at 185 pounds.

“Feel really sorry for Rob,” du Plessis wrote on Twitter. “He looked super ready but this is the fight game. Well done on a good performance, Khamzat. That being said I can’t wait to take your ‘O.’”

Considering the results on Saturday, du Plessis may have found his next opponent, although he’s been expected to clash with Sean Strickland in a rematch sometime in early 2025.

Strickland earned his spot as the No. 1 contender with a decision win over Paulo Costa but it’s tough to deny that Chimaev may have just jumped the line with his performance.

Even UFC CEO Dana White wasn’t ready to commit to Strickland on Saturday after watching what Chimaev did to Whittaker inside the first round.

“That’s a good question,” White said when asked about who’s next for du Plessis. “Call me on Tuesday.”

Given the attention that Chimaev’s win received and the potential for a blockbuster fight that could sell a whole lot of pay-per-views, the UFC might just sit Strickland down and begin hyping up “Stillknocks” vs. “Borz” right away.

To make matters worse for Strickland, the reigning UFC middleweight champion also retweeted a message hyping up a potential fight between him at Chimaev with the caption saying “this is the fight.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Khamzat Chimaev’s grappling has always been one of the most feared wrestling skillsets that we have seen inside the Octagon but he took it to whole new levels at UFC 308. In his biggest test to date, the undefeated contender submitted Robert Whittaker in the first round.

Not only did “Borz” give his opponent little chance to defend the takedown by shooting right at him early on in the fight, he did significant and gruesome damage to the jaw of the former champion in just a few seconds of pressure.

Fight fans have known for a long time now that any opponent of Chimaev’s was going to have to weather a rough storm early on because of his aggressive grappling threat. After Kamaru Usman was able to do that and make the fight competitive at UFC 294 last year, there were some doubts hanging over Chimaev’s potential.

He was back to his best in Abu Dhabi and his grappling looked so dominant that it inspired a current UFC champion to keep working harder and learning more. Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall gave his thoughts on the fights in a video on his YouTube channel.

Having given his live reactions via a watch-along, Aspinall was massively impressed by Chimaev’s performance and as someone that tries to take lessons from other fighters, the Brit was certainly able to gain something from this display.

“What he does for me as a fighter myself, me as an already established champion, I look at him and I feel like I need to learn more with the grappling. I need to learn more with the attacks. I need to learn more with how to control someone and not let him move and play the game like he does.”

Aspinall was left stunned by what Chimaev did against an opponent like “The Reaper” who he believed would be able to overcome the early adversity and get his hand raised.

“That was an unbelievable performance and I think, to top it all off, he did it to Robert Whittaker. He went out there and schooled Robert Whittaker which is unbelievable.”

Continue Reading UFC Champion Gets Inspired By Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 308 Win: ‘I Need To Learn More…’      at MMA News.

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