"He's so hard to beat" - When Mike Tyson weighed in on Ilia Topuria’s KO victory over Max Holloway at UFC 308 and gave advice to the FW champ

Ilia Topuria’s star continues to rise as the undefeated featherweight champion stunned the MMA world with a third-round knockout of former champ Max Holloway at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. Topuria’s dominant performance solidified his status as a top pound-for-pound fighter and caught the attention of boxing legend Mike Tyson, who shared his admiration.

Speaking to Marca, Tyson praised Topuria’s achievement, saying:

"If he did [knocked out Holloway], he's splendid. He's spectacular. Max Holloway is hard to beat, he's so hard to beat."

Tyson also offered words of encouragement to the champion, adding:

"First of all, I would just want to congratulate him. Keep going on man! congratulations."

Check out Mike Tyson's comments on Ilia Topuria below:

Topuria, who moved to 16-0 with the win, made a powerful statement in his first title defense on Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi. The fight began with both fighters throwing punches from a distance, with Holloway keeping busy while Topuria applied pressure and showcased his wrestling by taking the challenger down twice.

However, Topuria's power shots gradually wore down Holloway, and in round three, a straight right hurt Holloway. After weathering the storm briefly, Holloway was floored by a left hook, leading to the fight being stopped at 1:34 of the round.

The victory capped off a remarkable year for Topuria, who claimed the title earlier in February by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov expects Ilia Topuria to defeat Charles Oliveira in a potential lightweight clash

Khabib Nurmagomedov has voiced his support for Ilia Topuria in a potential clash against Charles Oliveira while emphasizing that the reigning featherweight champion should not be granted an immediate lightweight title shot.

Topuria, who had an outstanding 2024, has expressed interest in moving to the lightweight division to pursue double-champ status.

Speaking on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo, Nurmagomedov shared his belief that Topuria possesses the skills to defeat Oliveira. However, he also argued against a direct title opportunity for 'El Matador', citing concerns about fairness to other lightweight contenders.

'The Eagle' stated:

"Without fighting in 155 [pounds]? I don't agree. Because, Islam [Makhachev] already give chance [to the featherweight champion]...But why Islam have to give three time chance for 145 [pound] champion?...It's not fair for [the lightweight division]. But if [Topuria] moves up and he beats somebody like Charles Oliveira, of course. You know what I think, I think he can beat him."

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments on Ilia Topuria below:

Topuria has signaled his willingness to fight Oliveira in a title eliminator to prove his worthiness for a shot at the lightweight crown. The matchup would pit Oliveira’s dynamic striking and submission game against Topuria’s relentless pressure and wrestling.