November 1, 2024 2:40 pm ET
Eddie Alvarez gave insight on just how much power UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria packs.
Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) retained his featherweight title by becoming the first fighter to knock out Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) in the UFC 308 main event. He has now knocked out former champions Alexander Volkanovski and Holloway back-to-back.
Alvarez recounted hearing that Topuria took out numerous fighters when training at Kill Cliff FC in Florida. The former UFC lightweight champion also said Topuria managed to show off his grappling.
“I heard through my Kill Cliff buddies that he went over there and knocked out three guys in training in a training camp,” Alvarez said in an interview with Tim Welch. “And the Dagestanis couldn’t take him down, and he was taking them down. I overhear things in training, and I’m more concerned with the training than I am the fight, because in the fight you only get a little bit of time to display what you’ve got.
“But in training when you’re relaxed and doing these things consistently, to hear he went down to Kill Cliff and knocked out three of his training partners and was willingly taking down the Dagestani guys – what holes are we dealing with? He just dealt with the volume and the endurance of Max Holloway. If I’m hearing he’s really difficult to take down, his jiu-jitsu – he started his career just subbing guys, so this guy is a weapon all over.”
Topuria’s career started off with eight-straight submission wins, before he knocked out his first opponent in November 2019. He has now knocked out five of his past eight opponents.
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