UFC star and BMF champion Max Holloway has called out Ilia Topuria for continuing to carry around the BMF title.
As we know, Max Holloway officially holds the BMF championship. However, after he was knocked out by Ilia Topuria in their UFC featherweight title fight, some felt as if Ilia should’ve won the belt – including the man himself. With that being said, the strap wasn’t officially put on the line by the promotion.
Topuria even decided to buy a replica belt and pose with it several times. As you can imagine, that seems to have rubbed Max Holloway the wrong way, as he noted in the UFC 318 post-fight press conference after successfully defending the title against Dustin Poirier.
Max Holloway questions Ilia Topuria for carrying BMF title
“Oh, for sure [Topuria has earned BMF title fight],” Holloway said at the UFC 318 post-fight press conference. “At the end of the day, when the UFC didn’t put it up, it is what it is, you know?
“It just makes no sense what he’s doing walking around with it, or whatever. Did you see [Islam Makhachev] walking around with [another] champion’s belt after beating [Alexander Volkanovski] two times? You know what I mean? Like, the belt wasn’t on the line. Get over it, brother. Why did you spend money on a damn f*cking belt?”
“That’s just crazy to me,” Holloway said. “I know you’re rich and all, but that’s just a waste of money.”
Quotes via MMA Fighting
Holloway is a fantastic fighter but taking on Topuria again is certainly going to be a big challenge. We’d all be fascinated to see how it would play out at a different weight class, but in equal measure, ‘El Matador’ just seems to be on a different level right now – and that’s putting it lightly.
