Former champ wants the BMF belt handed to Ilia Topuria after 'El Matador' becomes first man to knock out Max Holloway

Ilia Topuria created history at UFC 308 when he defeated former champion Max Holloway by a vicious third-round KO to retain the featherweight title. Holloway's chin has been hailed as one of the toughest to crack in the UFC. Heading into the title fight, Topuria had promised to become the first fighter to knock the Hawaiian out.

After closely contested early rounds, 'El Matador' wobbled Holloway with a blistering right hand in Round 3 and dropped him with a left hook. A few follow-up strikes put a definitive end to the fight.

Holloway defeated Justin Gaethje to win the ceremonial BMF title in his previous outing. Although that belt was not on the line at UFC 308, former two-division champion Henry Cejudo took to X following Topuria's victory and urged Dana White:

"@danawhite give Ilia Topuria the BMF belt. He just knocked out the BMF champion!!! #UFC308"

Although the BMF title does not have competitive relevance, it honors UFC fighters' warrior spirit and many seem to desire it. Holloway won it against Gaethje with a historic fifth-round KO at UFC 300. The win also earned him a title shot against the newly crowned champion Topuria.

The Spaniard had confidently predicted a KO win over Holloway leading up to the event. However, many doubted the prediction given the former featherweight champion's track record. Before UFC 308, Holloway held the record for absorbing the most significant strikes (2,223) in the promotion's history without suffering a knockout or knockdown.

Meanwhile, defeating 'Blessed' extended Topuria's legacy even further. Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, and Jose Aldo Jr. are regarded as the consensus greatest UFC featherweight champions. Topuria has now defeated Volkanovski and Holloway by KO in back-to-back fights, etching his name in the sport's history.