‘Soul-hurting’ UFC 308 PPV event gets honest review from champ Tom Aspinall

Interim Brit heavyweight Tom Aspinall reacts to UFC 308 pay-per-view (PPV): Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway, after a watchalong stream.

‘Soul-hurting’ UFC 308 PPV event gets honest review from champ Tom Aspinall

Tom Aspinall reacts to UFC 308 pay-per-view (PPV): Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway (Source: IMAGO/X)

Ilia Topuria made good on his promise to take out Max Holloway at the UFC 308 PPV this weekend. Topuria not only retained his status as UFC featherweight champ. But he was also the first ever to knock down the gritty Hawaiian. The striking clinic between the new best boxer and the veteran hard chin was one for ages. Subsequently, with how much of a fan-fave Holloway has been over the years, it’s a tad bit hurting for another heavy-handed boxer: Tom Aspinall.

The closing acts of the UFC 308 pay-per-view top bill saw Topuria dominantly make his case with a thunderous KO. Right before, dangerous Chechen brawler Khamzat Chimaev cranked perennial middleweight Robert Whittaker in the pay-per-view (PPV) co-mains. Chimaev defeated him via submission (face crank) in Round 1, at around the 3:34 mark. With “Bobby Knuckles” and “Blessed” fighter Holloway down in shock treatment, Aspinall weighs in:

Obviously, we’ve got two, absolute fan-favorites…Max Holloway being one in the main event. And in the co-main Rob Whittaker. Unfortunately for me, this has hurt my soul a little bit because I absolutely love both of these guys…As do all the fighers and as do 99% of fans out there, …Our guys lost tonight.

Tom Aspinall via his Official YT Channel (@tomaspinallofficial), after his UFC 308 PPV stream watchalong
YouTube video

During his ‘Fight Lab’ series with UFC on TNT Sports’ (@TNTSports) Adam Catterall and Chris Ashton, Aspinall did say that Topuria has the mettle to wobble him. That is exactly what happened. Of course, the Brit boxer gave his best to those where credit is due. ‘El Matador’ knocked the winds out of a veteran featherweight who has held the undisputed, interim, and even “BMF” straps at the 155-pound mark.

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Meanwhile, there was much doubt about Chimaev being an unreliable billing and whatnot. There were serious hinges about him not gassing out in a five-round affair. But the more calculated Chechen ‘Borz’ proved he needed only one. Unlike Team Kaobon MMA’s Aspinall though, there are others with a more holistically unhinged approach. ‘And Still’ champ Topuria has his ideas on that.

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Topuria (16-0MMA, 8-0UFC) became the first man to stop former UFC titleholder Max Holloway (26-8MMA, 22-8UFC). He scrapped with the brawny, hard-chin Hawaiian in the main event of UFC 308 on Saturday. Holloway entered the 145-pound championship foray, coming off a KO over Justin Gaethje. That earned him the BMF (Baddest Motherf*cker) title at 155 pounds.

Ilia Topuria rips rival Conor McGregor after UFC 308
Ilia Topuria rips rival Conor McGregor after UFC 308 (Souce: X/heavy.com)

With his performance, Topuria made an undeniable case for FOTY, Best Knockdown ESPY, and other marquee opportunities riding into next year. However, superstar Conor McGregor had his eggs in the other basket. Hedging in a big $500k prop for the Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway pay-per-view (PPV), he made his intentions clear again.

ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto told Topuria backstage in Abu Dhabi about McGregor’s animated tweet spree. He had gone his usual route of losing out a prospect net $17 million in winnings. Topuria shrugged off the matter. For his part, “El Matador” unleashed his own trashtalking on some of McGregor’s tweets in a post-fight interview.

Bro, you’re sick. You have some problems to fix in your in your mind. You need to take some classes of respect or have to trade the people…you’re gonna end up really, really bad…So honset to god… ask to God you don’t cross paths with me never ever — Because I’m gonna fu*k you up whenever I’m gonna see you.

Ilia Topuria to ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto (@ESPNMMA)
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With an ironclad case for the distinction, Topuria has KOs over Alexander Volkanovski and Holloway. Hence, he is a lot more of a current superstar and prime UFC pound-for-pound than the former featherweight. However, this rivalry just knows no bounds.