Takeaways from UFC 308 – Topuria does what it promises, Chimaev is ready for the middleweight title

A 13-fight card at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi was capped by a featherweight title fight between champion Ilia Topuria and former champion Max Holloway. Topuria, Khamzat Chimaev and Magomed Ankalaev emerged as the night's big winners, but what's next for each fighter? To make sense of it all, Andreas Hale, Brett Okamoto and Jeff Wagenheim offer their final takeaways from a dramatic night of fighting.

Topuria delivers top-notch performance

Ilia Topuria has only defended his featherweight championship once, but he accomplished a lot in Saturday's UFC 308 main event. First, he did something no fighter had ever done. Then he did something this sport could use a lot more of.

By taking out Max Holloway, Topuria did what Justin Gaethje, the sport's premier purveyor of violence, could not. He did what a parade of former UFC champions from Alexander Volkanovski to José Aldo, Frankie Edgar to Anthony Pettis and Charles Oliveira to Conor McGregor could not. Volkanovski and Aldo, two of the greatest featherweights of all time, had multiple shots and couldn't make it.

But Topuria did, and his stunning third-round knockout delivered a blow to Holloway that had never been seen in the previous 33 fights of Holloway's career. “Blessed” had never been blown away before.

Topuria is now in the first category. That's what people say about fighters who are considered the greatest of all time in their weight class. And while it's premature to name the 27-year-old Spaniard the GOAT in the featherweight division, Topuria is making strides toward that distinguished direction, even when you combine that performance with the February knockout of Volkanovski that made him champion .

No less remarkable than the knockout performance, however, was the class that Topuria showed shortly after his victory. He twice spent extended periods hugging Holloway, then called the former champion “a legend” and said: “I represent the new generation and hope to be a small part of the role model he was for me. “the new generation.”

Topuria's kindness continued even as Volkanovski was brought into the cage just as the champion was being asked who should take the title next. After the men shook hands, the champion said Volkanovski deserved it most. “He defended his title seven times, I don’t know how many times,” Topuria said. “If anyone deserves it, it’s him.”

None of those kind words diminished the ferocity that Topuria brought to his fights with Holloway and Volkanovski. If one of these former champions gets a rematch, Topuria will come at them full force again. He doesn't need to insult anyone. Topuria understands what it means to be a true champion. – Wagenheim

It's title time for Chimaev

Is there any reason why the UFC shouldn't catapult Khamzat Chimaev into a title shot? Who are we kidding here?

I know the promotion promised former champion Sean Strickland a rematch with the man who won his title with a close decision. But that promise deserves to be broken because what Chimaev did to Robert Whittaker was a chilling reminder of why many crowned him a future champion in 2021, just four fights into his UFC career.

The health issues shouldn't be ignored as they have prevented Chimaev from getting into the title picture. But what he did to a former world champion who had not been submitted in nearly 13 years served not as a suggestion but as a demand.

Strickland defeating Paulo Costa via split decision and Chimaev steamrolling the higher-ranked Whittaker aren't in the same stratosphere when it comes to what performance deserves a title shot.

Yes, Strickland will certainly be unhappy that Chimaev skipped the finish line, but this was a one-sided performance against a former champion. Whittaker landed a total of two leg kicks before being sucked into the Chimaev vacuum and forced to wear a “Borz” blanket.

And let's talk about that finish. It may have looked like Whittaker tapped too early after the crank went in. However, Daniel Cormier shared a photo of Whittaker's shattered jaw on the broadcast, further solidifying Chimaev as a force unparalleled in the division.

Chimaev suffered no damage in the fight and said he was ready to fight for the gold medal. It would be foolish to deny him this opportunity. Sometimes, when you're waiting for a title opportunity, you're vulnerable to watching someone slip by in front of you. It's the cost of standing still while everyone else is moving. But honestly, isn't the Strickland fight a rematch with Israel Adesanya?

How about we do that and let Du Plessis and Chimaev compete in early 2025? — Hale

How the UFC will handle the situation in Kalayev remains unclear

For my money, Magomed Ankalaev should have already been UFC champion. I fully believed he beat Jan Blachowicz when they fought for the vacant title in 2022. The jury decided it was a split draw as UFC CEO Dana White wasn't a fan of how it turned out and Ankalaev was in the slowest possible path back to a title since then. The UFC already left him out for a title shot earlier this year when Khalil Rountree, who was much lower in the rankings, received a 205-pound title shot.

It's pretty obvious that Ankalaev deserves a chance against Alex Pereira, but it's also pretty obvious that he's not the best deal. It's just not him. And right now, the UFC has seen some fights go in a way that isn't optimal for the business. Sean O'Malley losing his title isn't good for business. Jon Jones fights as heavyweight champion once in over a year, not great. Belal Muhammad, widely known for his tendency to pick opponents from distance, wasn't great either.

The UFC is fantastic in that it regularly hosts fights of the best against the best, but I wonder how they will handle it. A lot could depend on what happens next month in the heavyweight division between Jones and Stipe Miocic. Who will win this? And who will retire after that? –Okamoto