Max Holloway says Ilia Topuria is certainly one of the largest pound-for-pound punchers within the UFC.
But is he the toughest hitter he’s ever fought? Not quite, says the BMF Champion.
Across 34 pro fights, 30 of which were within the UFC, Max Holloway has only been knocked out one time in his profession and that was in his most up-to-date fight at UFC 308.
Newly-crowned UFC Lightweight Champion Ilia Topuria professed he’d be the primary to KO Holloway and he did so in spectacular fashion, flooring Holloway within the third round to defend his featherweight belt in October.
Despite the unprecedented result, the veteran Holloway feels he’s been hit harder in his UFC profession.
Max Holloway compares Justin Gaethje’s power to Ilia Topuria: ‘I felt some things’
Based on the UFC statistics, Topuria was the primary fighter to knock down Holloway.
Nonetheless, within the fight before, BMF Champion Justin Gaethje had dropped Holloway with a punch in round 4 of their BMF title bout at UFC 300. Holloway quickly got up and recovered, making it out of the round to attain a KO at the ultimate buzzer.
In an interview with Stake.com, Holloway said Gaethje noticeably hits harder than Topuria after going five rounds with him, but gives ‘El Matador’ the respect he deserves for being the primary to place him out.
“I even have been asked how hard he really hit?” Holloway said of Topuria.
“Once I was in there, I didn’t feel like this guy hit a lot harder [than other opponents]. However the guy must hit hard. Cause if you end up hit hard, then your body does something that it just isn’t used to. And then you definitely think to yourself, what the hell?
“But comparing his punch. Once I fought Gaethje, I felt some things,” Holloway continued.
Gaethje has a number of the most devastating leg kicks in MMA, a possible key to victory against a boxer like Topuria.
“I felt that Gaethje hits hard and Gaethje kicks hard. When Ilia when he hit me, nothing was like, ‘oh man, he hits hard or whatever’.
“But you’ve to say that he hits hard since you see what happens to people when he touches them,” Holloway said of Topuria.
“So at the top of the day, perhaps it is difficult to disclaim that he is likely to be certainly one of the largest punchers in UFC history, pound for pound, needless to say.”
Former foe Josh Emmett details why Ilia Topuria can hit so hard
Together with Holloway, Josh Emmett doesn’t think Topuria hits that arduous—no less than, not as hard as Dan Ige.
While former foes like Charles Oliveira say they’ve never been hit harder than by Topuria, Emmett explains why ‘El Matador’ can generate a lot power.
“The thing with Ilia is his footwork is nice,” Emmett told MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura.
“He’s all the time in a extremely good position.
“He’s fast, and he’s very precise and accurate. He’s not loading up a 100%.
“He’s landing [with] the accuracy and precision, with the speed, and that’s where the facility is,” Emmett said.
Emmett is the one fighter to survive five rounds with the undefeated finisher Topuria.