The rain of fire is coming down from UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria, and his sights are firmly set on the BMF title holder, Max Holloway. Their highly anticipated clash at UFC 308 has been confirmed, and with it, the feud is heating up. It all started when Holloway, fresh off his electrifying knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, wasted no time in calling out Topuria—demanding Dana White make the fight happen. And now that it’s official, “El Matador” has begun to sound the battle drums.

The undefeated 15-0 fighter isn’t just confident—he’s making promises. Topuria took to Instagram to send a message to his fans and a warning to Holloway: “The first to knock him out. It will be absolute domination. This goes out to all those boys and girls who follow me, so that they know that everything is possible if they have faith and strive for it. Don’t forget that it doesn’t matter where you come from, if you know where you’re going. Thank you, Spain and Georgia, for everything you have given me and continue to give me. This goes for all of you. 16-0 And still undefeated. Undefeated mentality is the one possessed by those who have the faith to turn their dreams into reality. If you are undefeated comment.”

There’s no mistaking the fire in Topuria’s words—he believes, and he wants everyone else to believe it too. With a perfect 15-0 record, “El Matador” has already proven his strength, but Holloway is no easy target. Max is a legend—a fighter who’s faced and conquered some of the toughest names in the sport. But Topuria is determined to be the first man to put Holloway out cold, and he’s doing it not just for himself, but for all those who look up to him, who see his rise as proof that anything is possible.

With both fighters trading words and the fight officially set, one thing’s for sure: UFC 308 is going to be explosive. Topuria wants to extend his streak, and Holloway is not one to be intimidated by bold claims. Along with the blazing fire from Topuria’s end, even UFC is not leaving any stone unturned. The promotion has decided on a backup fighter as well.

Are the rumors true of Dana White signing a backup for Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway?

If we have learned anything from seeing UFC fights, a well-made plan can fall through at any time. This is the reason a backup fighter is essential for these megafights to run smoothly. Given that Topuria vs Holoway is already on the cards, UFC legend Chael Sonnen thinks that Dana White has supposedly, already decided upon his backup fighter for the main card. ‘The American Gangster’ Thinks that the UFC boss might have picked an unofficial backup fighter-lest the featherweight bout falls through.

If you are thinking that it might be  Alexander Volkanovski then you might be disappointed because Sonnen thinks that ‘The Great’  has yet to receive his rematch after his iconic champion run in the 145-pound division. If it is not Volk then who might it be? Maybe it might be the 26-6-0 UFC 306 Featherweight winner Diego Lopes. “[Diego] Lopes has been named. It’s unofficial, but been named to the backup position for Max [Holloway] versus Ilia Topuria,” Sonnen expressed on YouTube, saying, “When I tell you unofficially, I’m going back to a press conference done after the event at the Sphere. Between that press conference and now, quite possibly he’s inked that deal. If I’m ignorant of that, forgive me.”

Now that the backup fighter might also have been decided, will Topuria keep that perfect record, or will Holloway remind everyone why he’s still one of the best in the game? What do you think might happen when these two warriors meet in the cage?