It is looking more and more likely that Ilia Topuria’s first UFC featherweight title defence will be against former champion Max Holloway later this year.
Spanish outlet MARCA reported Monday verbal agreements are in place for the five-round championship bout to take place Oct. 26 at UFC 308, which is an event scheduled for Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The UFC has not confirmed the Topuria vs. Holloway matchup nor its theoretical date and location. UFC 308 was announced to take place in the United Arab Emirates back in April but no bouts have been added to the card officially as of this writing.
Topuria is undefeated in mixed martial arts and won the title in his seventh UFC appearance in February when he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 298.
Holloway is coming off an epic last-second knockout win over Justin Gaethje to win the organization’s symbolic BMF Title in a featured lightweight matchup at UFC 300. The 32-year-old former featherweight champion is 0-3 in his last three undisputed title fights, all of which were against Volkanovski who is the lone fighter to defeat Holloway at 145 pounds in the past decade. Holloway initially won an interim featherweight title by beating Anthony Pettis; he later unified it when he stopped Jose Aldo.
Topuria, 27, earned notable wins over Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell en route to his title shot.
Makhachev injury to delay his next title defence?
Islam Makhachev recently revealed he has been dealing with a hand injury since beating Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 earlier this year. The lightweight champion said he has a partial ligament tear and is unclear exactly how long the rehabilitation process will take and whether or not surgery will be required.
Makhachev is expected to face Arman Tsarukyan later this year and both fighters have said UFC 308 in the UAE would be a good location for the 155-pound rematch that is more than five years in the making.
Curtis vs. Holland set for October
“The Action Man” Chris Curtis will return to action on Oct. 5 against the popular Kevin Holland in a middleweight scrap, Curtis’s management announced Monday.
Curtis is coming off a split decision loss to Brendan Allen in April, a bout he took on short notice. The 37-year-old sustained a hamstring injury at the end of the five-round fight at the UFC Apex. He announced at the time it was a Grade 3 tear. Six months will have elapsed between the Allen bout and the Holland bout.
Holland snapped a two-fight losing streak with a 94-second submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 302 in June in his return up to the 185-pound division.
No location for the matchup was mentioned, however, the event is expected to take place in Utah. Sportsnet’s Aaron Bronsteter reported earlier this year a pay-per-view event would likely take place in Salt Lake City in October when he broke the news that Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Pena was being targeted.
A featherweight matchup between undefeated contender Movsar Evloev and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, who had an impressive 145-pound debut earlier this year, is also expected to be featured at the event, which has not been officially announced by the organization.