UFC 308: Alex Volkanovski on 'totally different' Topuria and Holloway - 'Ilia can bang' but Max can 'mix it up'
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Published 25/10/2024 at 10:03 GMT+1
Anticipation is building ahead of Ilia Topuria's first featherweight title defence against Max Holloway at UFC 308 on Saturday, live on TNT Sports Box Office. Former champion Alex Volkanovski, who lost the belt to Topuria in February, spoke to TNT Sports about why the pair are "totally different." The Australian said "Ilia can bang," adding that Holloway is "really starting to mix it up."
‘It’s no secret that Ilia can bang!’ – Volkanovski on preparing for Topuria and Holloway
Video credit: TNT Sports
Alex Volkanovski has explained what makes Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway “totally different fighters” ahead of their blockbuster UFC 308 clash, saying it will be “five rounds of war.”
Former UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski defeated Holloway three times in a trilogy between December 2019 and July 2022, but was stopped by Topuria in his last fight at UFC 298, in February this year.
Topuria’s knockout victory that night in Anaheim, California, earned him the championship belt, and he is now looking to defend it on Saturday, October 26 in Abu Dhabi, live on TNT Sports Box Office.
The clash between Topuria (15-0) and former champion Holloway (26-7) is getting fight fans excited, and Volkanovski spoke exclusively to TNT Sports about what to expect when they take to the Octagon.
“They are going to be different. That’s no secret,” he said. “Everybody knows that Ilia can bang. You don’t want to be standing in the pocket with that guy.
“But at the same time, you don’t want to have the same exiting patterns and things like that, because he’s going to get a read and chase you eventually. You have to be able to fight the fight in front of you.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
“Ilia and Max are two totally different fighters. Even though they both like the pressure.
“With Ilia, he’s known for his power. He’s more short-range with his combos, whereas Max now is showing that he can get angles, fight on the back foot, fight on the front foot, spin kicks, he’s really starting to mix it up.
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“But the preparation is definitely different. I’ve tried many times; it is very hard. You know you are going for five rounds of war and he’s going to bring it the whole time.
“With someone like Ilia, watch out for those big bombs. Try to weather the storm, make it hard for him, make it a grind, maybe slow him down.
“That will probably be your best bet. That’s what I think Max is going to have to do this weekend and Ilia? Try and land those big hands.”
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Nicksick - 'Geography' will decide fight
MMA coach Eric Nicksick also provided some tactical insight ahead of the fight.
The American has coached three UFC champions in his career: Francis Ngannou, Aljamain Sterling and Sean Strickland.
Studying the two fighters who will take to the Octagon for Saturday’s headline bout, Nicksick pointed to “geography” as the key.
“Who can own the geography? If you go back and watch Ilia’s knockouts, every one of them that I’ve seen is on the corner post,” Nicksick said.
“He gets guys inside the black line. He fights two different styles of fight. He fights one out in the middle, and then when he gets you behind the black line, he has a whole different style of fighting.
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‘Geography, who can own the geography’ - Nicksick on where Topuria v Holloway will be won
Video credit: TNT Sports
“It’s all containment punches to the body, to the head, but a lot of power. If you watch his fights that he has ended, look at the geography of where he’s ended his fights. I bet you are going to see inside the black line, or a guy backed up to the corner post.
“What happens when you get guys on that corner post, we call it the choke point. And when the Octagon has a flat panel where you have to turn.
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“What we train quite a bit and I assume other people are as well is how do you cut that corner post off and how do you set traps with your containment punches?
“That’s what I see can be an issue for Max. Have you seen Max backed up in those positions? Not really. To me that is going to be the fight – who owns the geography, who keeps centre Octagon.
“If Max can stay in the centre, I think he can pose some issues for Ilia, but what happens if Max does get pushed to that barrier?
“Do you create a car crash and come into the power? What do you do to get off that corner post? That to me will be a lot of the key, is who owns the centre of the Octagon.”
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'i don't agree with my brother' - aleksandre topuria
Aleksandre Topuria, brother of Ilia, joined the TNT Sports team to look ahead to the fight.
He was asked about if becoming champion has changed the mentality of his sibling heading into his first title defence.
“Sometimes he used to say ‘first I see it, and then I achieve it.’ His mentality was always to be champion, and nothing changed in his mind,” said Topuria.
“I think if something changed, it changed for the better. More emotional stability. Now he’s the champ, he has more responsibility. He cannot let himself calm down. Now is the moment.
“It’s like when you become a black belt in Brazilian jujitsu, some guys think 'now I’m a black belt, I can stop'. No, that’s the moment when you have to show your level. Now Ilia is the champion, it’s his moment to show why he’s the champion.”
He also responded to Ilia’s claim that he will point to the ground in the centre of the Octagon to make a statement before the fight with Holloway begins.
“I don’t agree with my brother. But any fighter has his own mentality, his own decisions he takes inside the Octagon,” he said.
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'If he says he will!' - Topuria's borther Aleksandre on if Ilia will point to the middle
Video credit: TNT Sports
“What can I do? He says I want to fight first and second, and we say ok, you better be prepared. We are very well prepared, not just for the first and seconds, but in every 10 seconds in every round.”
Asked if Ilia will do it, he responded: “He says he will. He says that he’s going to point to the ground. That’s his personality.”
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HOW TO WATCH UFC 308: Topuria v Holloway
UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway will be exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office and will cost £19.99 in the UK and can be watched on discovery+, EE TV, Prime Video, Virgin Media TV and Sky Sports. You do not need to be a TNT Sports subscriber to buy either event.
discovery+ - TNT Sports Box Office events are available to purchase and watch in the discovery+ app – on smart TV’s, computer or mobile device. Viewers wanting to watch the fight should visit https://www.discoveryplus.com/gb/ppv-purchases and follow instructions to subscribe and then purchase the event.
EE TV - Customers can purchase the event via their STB on channel 494.
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Sky Sports - customers can purchase on channel 490 via their remote control or via https://www.sky.com/boxoffice/tnt-sports. Customers in the Republic of Ireland can purchase TNT Sports Box Office via Sky for €29.99 at https://www.sky.com/boxoffice/tnt-sports
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