UFC 308 pre-fight press conference

Much has been made of Ilia Topuria's pre-fight challenge to Max Holloway.

Featherweight champion Topuria made no secret of his intention to engage Holloway in a firefight in the opening seconds of his UFC 308 main event on Saturday night in Abu Dhabi. The Georgian-Spanish player has repeatedly claimed that he intends to hit the canvas in the early stages of the contest, which would be similar to Holloway's similar move earlier this year in his fight with Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April; A development that ultimately left Gaethje face first on the canvas as the final bell rang in their five-round war.

But while Holloway told the media in Abu Dhabi earlier this week that such moments have to be “earned,” Topuria repeated his request in Thursday's press release. Check out the video below, where the exchange takes place just after the 17-minute mark.

–