Outspoken Hall of Famer Points Blame for Not Letting Ilia Topuria Win BMF Belt at UFC 308

Ilia Topuria remains one of select few fighters to claim titles in two weight classes; BMF title at UFC 308 PPV would have added to his legacy.

Outspoken Hall of Famer Points Blame for Not Letting Ilia Topuria Win BMF Belt at UFC 308

UFC made a flub in not allowing Ilia Topuria to win BMF title at UFC 308 (Source: X)

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Ilia Topuria isn’t out of options to bank on after his first PPV main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Now, as one of the handful of two-weight champs in UFC history, Topuria has upped his stakes like never before. However, per one UFC legend, he could have had more glory and gold (well…Silver) at UFC 308, this past October.

Ilia Topuria knocked the wind out of former titleholder Charles Oliveira with a brutal and perfect combination. However, “El Matador” had a two-KO title campaign over top featherweight names last season, which warranted him this top shot at 155 pounds straight off the bat.

Notably, Ilia Topuria went on to become the first man to knock out the gritty Max Holloway at the UFC 308 PPV main event. Holloway was coming off a legendary buzzer-beater KO and a fulfilling hydration, packed at 155 pounds. Hence, Chael Sonnen believes the optic of such a domination of a fighter entering as “BMF” Champion warranted that Topuria snatched that BMF spot.

There was a mistake made — and the mistake was made to put Ilia in there with the reigning BMF champion and not to put up the belt. That SOB should have three belts right now — and we’re having a totally different talk right now if he does. The marketing and the posters are totally different if we had that, …but we gotta follow it to a tee. The belt’s either up or it’s not…The way the story gets told about Max, everybody likes Max…there’s more to it. He was the reigning BMF champion. Ilia Topuria should have two over his shoulder and one around his waist.

Chael Sonnen for the ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ Show (@ESPNMMA) for ESPN2/ ESPNPodcenter

A-lister Sergio Ramos dapped and posed up with Topuria before and after he beat Holloway at UFC 308; national tele like RadiogacetaRNE Sports, and Radio Gazette saw a bloom of uproars and ovations when he showed up as a guest appearance. Very early, he was also on tap to naturally headline a PPV title affair in a Spain debut card, possibly at Santiago Bernabéu.

MMA’s most outspoken ‘Bad Guy’ Sonnen and his ESPN Co-host Daniel Cormier provided that Topuria, cocky as ever, talks the talk and walks the walk. But behind him is a show – a media branding that has made him larger than life.

Sonnen thinks the visual of Topuria with 3 belts would have sold like wildfire! Having already stepped to the pound-for-pound throne, Topuria and the push behind such a figure would be a story to tell; one that the brass wasn’t opposed to.

Dana White was late to realize Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway clash warranted BMF status

When the idea first arose that Max Holloway could challenge for Ilia Topuria’s 145-pound top spot, ‘El Matador’ had what seemed to be a natural question. What’s in it for him to go to contention again, and should he put it on the line alone? Ilia Topuria presented that Holloway’s BMF title should be up for grabs, too.

Dana White thought Ilia Topuria's UFC 308 scrap should entail the BMF title
Dana White thought Ilia Topuria’s UFC 308 scrap should entail the BMF title (Source: X)

It came to be known that Topuria and Club Climent were formulating a move up to 155-pounds due to weight cut troubles. ‘El Matador’ even challenged that Holloway won’t have to go through similar troubles and cut down; he’d rather hydrate one up, but the BMF has to be on the line. Topuria even posed up with a BMF replica belt twice to tease the matter.

Things were made slightly more zingy as Topuria based the challenge on the fact that he would be the first to KO Holloway, and then backed it up. It wasn’t necessarily against all odds piled against his favor, but the PPV title scrap did have that “BMF” feel to it.

Given the competitive standup skills test and how the matchup went, in retrospect, UFC boss Dana White later billed the fight could have been a BMF title match.

Topuria’s belt was on the line; Max was trying to take that, …Halfway through the second round, I said, ‘Sh*t, we should have put the Bad Motherf*cker title up for this fight, too.’ Because these guys are both (“BMF”)…I don’t know what we’ll do with it yet — but Max still has it. Max holds the title, so we’ll see what happen.

Dana White during UFC 308 backstage post-fight fighter interviews

The never-been-done third-round stunner over Holloway ramped up talks about UFC’s first champion from Spain to have a PPV header there. After UFC 308, the UFC CEO billed Topuria a brand needle mover; someone who is capable of selling out a stadium show. It remains to be seen if the UFC can push the Georgian-Spanish fighter just like they did with Conor McGregor.

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